German football legend and current Sky Sports pundit Lothar Matthaus wants Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac to be clear about his starting 11 following an incident involving Jobe Bellingham’s father, Mark Bellingham. The elder Bellingham made headlines after causing a scene while speaking to sporting director Sebastian Kehl, as reported by the Associated Press.
Mark and Denise Bellingham flew to Hamburg to watch Jobe’s Bundesliga debut against St. Pauli, but it ended up being a disappointment. Kovac subbed off Jobe at halftime, leading to Mark confronting Kehl inside the stadium and demanding explanations.
Lothar Matthaus sends crystal clear message to Borussia Dortmund
While the BVB bosses downplayed the situation, it was already covered by several media outlets. Matthaus covered it in his column for Sky Sports, writing that it was an understandable situation for the Bellinghams. However, the resolution should have happened privately, and Kovac should be clear about his regular starters.
"His parents manage him and are dissatisfied with his playing time. I understand their point of view. There's some anger, but not where it 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. Nevertheless, Kovac shouldn't constantly make too many substitutions in midfield and attack. He should make a commitment and then put his trust in these players."Lothar Matthaus
Jobe was the main signing by BVB this summer, following in the footsteps of his older brother Jude, who spent three seasons at Dortmund before making a big-money move to Real Madrid last summer. He has plenty of competition at midfield, including Marcel Sabitzer, Pascal Groß, Felix Nmecha and Salih Ozcan.
The Black and Yellows also signed Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea for around £24 million, as reported by the BBC. Chukwuemeka also plays midfield, but he could be deployed at a more advanced position in attack. Dortmund’s next game is on August 31 against Union Berlin at the Westfalenstadion.