Borussia Dortmund managing director Lars Ricken has dismissed reports of a locker room rift between sporting director Sebastian Kehl and Jobe Bellingham’s father, Mark, following Saturday’s draw with St. Pauli.
Dortmund’s 2025/2026 Bundesliga campaign got off to a disappointing start as they played out a 3-3 draw at the Millerntor-Stadion, despite having led 3-1 with just four minutes of the game left.
Danel Sinani’s penalty, which resulted in a red card for Borussia Dortmund defender Filippo Mane, breathed life back into St. Pauli’s hopes of getting something from the game before Eric Smith equalised in the 89th minute.
Bellingham had enjoyed a decent outing in BVB colours at the Club World Cup but his Bundesliga debut lasted just 45 minutes as he was withdrawn at half time by head coach Niko Kovac and replaced by Felix Nmecha.
Reports subsequently suggested Bellingham’s father angrily confronted Kehl and had been banned from the dressing room area. But Ricken dismissed reports of any confrontation, explaining that the matter had been amicably resolved.
“We were able to sign Jobe Bellingham because we have built a relationship of trust with the parents over the years,” Ricken told Sky Sports.
“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 is not a problem at all, given this relationship.
“In the future, though, we will ensure that only players, coaches and officials have access to the locker room area, so that we no longer get into trouble by commenting on such news. Everything has been resolved, there is no drama.”
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