Jude Bellingham has been handed a €40,000 fine by the German Football Association (DFB) after his "match-fixing" remarks against Felix Zwayer, the referee for the Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich clash.
Dortmund were on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline against their arch-rivals in a top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash at Westfalenstadion on December 4, with Robert Lewandowski grabbing the winning goal from the penalty spot.
The hosts clearly disagreed with the award of the spot-kick, though, and Bellingham questioned why Zwayer was allowed to officiate such a crucial game due to his past involvement in a match-fixing scandal.
Bellingham's furious rant
"For me, it wasn't [a penalty]," Bellingham told reporters after the game.
"[Mats] Hummels isn't even looking at the ball, he's fighting to get it and it just sort of hits him... it hits him and I don't even think he's looking at the ball.
"You can look at a lot of the decisions in the game, you give a referee that has match-fixed before the biggest game in Germany, what do you expect?"
DFB investigation outcome
DFB referee supervisor Marco Haase launched a complaint against Bellingham for his controversial comments about Zwayer, leading to an investigation being carried out.
The England international midfielder, while escaping a ban for his comments, has been given a fine of €40k, with his post-match quotes having been deemed "unsportsmanlike conduct".
Dortmund and Bellingham have accepted the ban, meanwhile, meaning that the 18-year-old will be available to face Bochum in the Bundesliga club's next domestic match on December 11.
Defending the former Birmingham City star's comments before the outcome of the investigation, Michael Zorc spoke to SID and insisted that Bellingham's outburst had been blown out of proportion.
"The boy is 18, talking after a heated, emotional game," he said. "He names old facts, you don't have to do that. We stand by him. I don't see anything problematic in terms of criminal law."
Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn, meanwhile, was far more damning in his assessment of Bellingham, as he told Sky Germany: "I'm the last one who doesn't understand player emotions. They (Bellingham's comments) go a huge step too far, of course. I don't remember any player saying that before. I don't know how he got the idea to make such a statement."
