Jobe Bellingham's parents given 'clear' warning by Borussia Dortmund in phone call with sporting director after angry confrontation outside dressing room

The tunnel bust-up between Dortmund's sporting director and Bellingham's father caused a big stir after the team’s frustrating 3-3 draw with St. Pauli in the Bundesliga opener. While the club's managing director Lars Ricken clarified that there is no tension between the club and the Bellingham family, new reports have claimed that things weren’t smoothed over as quickly as it first seemed. 

According to Sport Bild, Kehl picked up the phone the next day to make a "clear" declaration. He reminded Bellingham senior that family members have no place in the tunnel area and warned it can’t happen again. Mark, the player's father, is said to have taken the message on board and assured the club he won’t make that mistake in the future.

The dispute came on what should have been a big moment for Bellingham, who signed from Sunderland this summer on a five-year deal. After winning the Championship Young Player of the Year and helping Sunderland to Premier League promotion, expectations were high that he could follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps at BVB.

But his early substitution against St. Pauli was the trigger for frustration, leaving even some Dortmund players surprised by both his parents’ presence and the tone of the exchange. Germany legend Lothar Matthaus later insisted these conversations “should not happen" outside the dressing room after a game.

After the incident surfaced, Dortmund chiefs were quick to calm things down and played it off in public. Ricken insisted the matter had already been cleared up and that there was no bad blood. 

Speaking on Sky, he said: "Everything is resolved again, no drama. We got Jobe Bellingham because we truly built a relationship of trust with the parents over the years. Now the family flew in especially for their son's first Bundesliga game and wanted to meet Jobe after the game. They stood in the hallway to the locker room and had an emotional conversation with Sebastian, which, however, is not a problem at all given their relationship."

Kehl also cleared his stance, stating, "This will not happen again. We have clearly informed everyone involved of this."

Dortmund will look to move on when they face Union Berlin on Sunday, still chasing their first Bundesliga win of the season. For Jobe, who has been under the spotlight since his high-profile move, the pressure will only increase as the 19-year-old fights to earn a regular spot in Niko Kovac’s plans.