Harry Kane was compelled to intervene and calm an England teammate after the Three Lions’ 3-1 loss to Senegal on Tuesday night. It was Thomas Tuchel’s first defeat as England manager. Despite gaining an early lead through the country’s all-time leading scorer, goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly delivered England a crushing defeat.
While there was no need for full-fledged panic – given that it was merely a friendly at the conclusion of a lengthy season against a country ranked in the top 20 by FIFA – the mood at the City Ground was tense, with England’s players and staff booed out at full-time. According to the Evening Standard, one Three Lions star expressed his frustration and had to be calmed down by Kane.
That player was Jude Bellingham, who has a history of dramatic outbursts. The Real Madrid midfielder has received criticism in recent months for his inability to control his temper. He was sent off for dissent against Osasuna in February and created more controversy with a verbal rant at an assistance referee during the Madrid derby that same month. His newest outburst has landed him in hot water yet again.
Jude Bellingham Needed Calming Down After His Disallowed Goal
Kane acted as peacemaker as the midfielder let his emotions get the better of him
One of the game’s most pivotal moments occurred when Jude Bellingham thought he had brought England level at 2-2, only for his headed effort with five minutes remaining to be controversially chalked off. The goal was disallowed after VAR determined that Levi Colwill had committed an intentional handball in the build-up.
According to Dom Smith of The Evening Standard, Bellingham approached the assistant referee to complain about his disallowed goal after the full-time whistle, and then ‘angrily kicked a drinks cooler’. It was stated that Kane drew him back onto the pitch before calming him down, and the two went on to congratulate Senegal’s players on their victory.
The exact moment Bellingham lost his cool was not captured on camera, but a later event in which he confronted the officials was – see below, along with Smith’s comments on the incident.
During his post-match media obligations, Kane told Sky Sports (see his interview below) that the decision to deny the goal was “crazy.”
“Throughout the game, I felt the standard was not high enough. And then to reverse it, you can argue whether it was there or not; she saw it on the pitch, and then to be summoned over and make a decision, a 50/50 decision, to overturn it is simply the wrong decision.”
He said, “I spoke with her about it. It’s not an excuse, but it did impact the game, since it’s 2-2 with five minutes left, the momentum is on our side, and it may feel a little different.”
The Three Lions now have a few months to prepare for their next series of fixtures. They’ll face Andorra and Serbia in September in the penultimate round of World Cup qualifiers before next year’s championship tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where they’re regarded one of the favourites to win.
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