FIFA Criticized Over Balogun Red Card Suspension After Reported Call From Trump

Topline

FIFA’s decision to suspend a red card against U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun has drawn criticism from the American team’s Round of 16 opponent, Belgium, and other soccer experts who questioned the fairness of the decision after reports said that President Donald Trump had spoken with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the matter.

Key Facts

Chief Critic

Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), the governing body of European soccer, issued a scathing statement on Monday saying the decision to suspend Balogun’s red card “crossed a red line.” Citing other players who served a one match ban after a red card, UEFA said: “A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted. It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exception, let alone in the middle of a tournament.” The statement ended with “We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision.”

Have Any Other Teams Commented On The Decision?

On Sunday, England won its Round of 16 game against Mexico 3-2 to advance to the quarter-finals, where they will take on Norway. However, the team will take the field without defender Jarell Quansah, who received a red card for a dangerous sliding tackle against Mexico’s Jesus Gallardo. In the press conference after the game, the English team’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, disapproved of FIFA’s decision to suspend Balogun’s red card, noting that it will sow confusion for other teams. "Who overturns this decision and when and on what grounds? And how far does this go now? It is just strange for me.” When a reporter asked Tuchel if the England team could lobby Trump to get involved and overturn Quansah’s one-match ban, the England manager jokingly said, “Maybe, that's a good starting point.”

What Have Other Football Pundits Said?

On BBC Sport’s kick-off show before the England-Mexico game, former England and Manchester United star Wayne Rooney said the Balogun decision was “an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this. The sportsmanship of the game is in question here.” French soccer legend and Fox Sports commentator Thierry Henry said the decision must have broken the Belgian team’s “spirit a tiny bit,” noting that they must have prepared to play the game a “certain way” and now have to suddenly change their tactics and preparation. Henry said he believes Balogun never deserved a red card, but criticized FIFA for the time it took to make a final decision on the matter.

What Was Said About Trump's reported call to Infantino?

German soccer manager Jürgen Klopp, who won the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League titles with Liverpool F.C., said the competition’s rules state that Balogun can’t play against Belgium even if people deem the red card unfair. On the President and the FIFA chief purported phone call, Klopp said: "This is our game, not theirs... If Trump and Infantino really worked this all out between themselves, that’s crazy. It calls everything into question.”

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