Lothar Matthäus on Bellingham incident: “I understand their point of view”

Lothar Matthäus understands why Jobe Bellingham’s father was emotional after his son’s half-time substitution, but emphasizes that the discussion with BVB boss Sebastian Kehl shouldn’t have occurred near the dressing room.

Germany and Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus has reacted to Mark Bellingham’s reported outburst following Dortmund’s 3-3 draw with St. Pauli on Saturday.

Mark and Denise flew from England to watch their son Jobe Bellingham get taken off at halftime, with the patriarch causing a scene while speaking to sporting director Sebastian Kehl and demanding an explanation for why it happened.

Matthäus understood the Bellinghams’ frustrations with Jobe’s Bundesliga debut for BVB in Hamburg. However, the former Ballon d’Or winner added that the discussion between the parents and the BVB bosses should have happened privately.

“His parents manage him and are unhappy with his playing time. I understand their point of view. Some frustration is to be expected, but not where it actually happened. That shouldn’t happen in the catacombs, but rather the next day or the day after in Dortmund behind closed doors in an office belonging to Lars Ricken, Kehl or Kovac,” Matthäus wrote in his column for Sky Germany.

The 64-year-old icon added that it’s on head coach Niko Kovac to make things clear regarding his regular starters, pointing to the glut of midfielders at BVB, which includes Jobe, Marcel Sabitzer, Pascal Groß and Felix Nmecha.