'No reason': FIFA criticized for withdrawing US red card after Trump call – National
European soccer body UEFA criticized FIFA for its “inexplicable and unfair decision” to allow United States forward Folarin Balogun to play in the World Cup against Belgium on Monday despite a red card in his previous match.
UEFA said in a statement that FIFA had “crossed a red line” with its decision not to enforce Balogun's one-match ban, after the world football body came under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
FIFA's decision on Sunday – to extend Balogun's one-year probationary ban – was a shocking departure from soccer law and drew fierce criticism from around the world, including from the tournament's former World Cup stars and coaches.
“Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said on Sunday after his team beat Brazil to reach the quarterfinals.
UEFA, whose confederations include Belgium, insisted: “Sometimes the rules are open to interpretation. Not so in this case.”
“When the certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at risk and the integrity of the competition is undermined,” said the European football body, which has often clashed with FIFA President Gianni Infantino during his ten years in charge.
“We express our disbelief at the unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjust decision,” said UEFA, where Infantino was general secretary of its CEO from 2009 until he was elected to lead FIFA in February 2016.
Belgium's soccer federation was preparing an appeal in Seattle early Monday to challenge Balogun's decision before a FIFA-appointed appeals judge. The round of 16 match against the US is expected to start at 5 pm local time.
Balogun was sent off for a clean foot on the ankle of Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic during the US's 2-0 win in the round of 32 last Wednesday.
That kind of challenge has been a standard red card all season in international competitions, and Balogun could have expected a two-game ban for the foul.
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However, the similar challenges of famous players have not been punished in this world cup – by Lionel Messi of Argentina against Algeria and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco vs. Brazil. Portugal's Bernardo Silva received a yellow card against Congo.
“I think a yellow card would have been appropriate,” Balogun said later.
This World Cup was a surprise because FIFA seemed to be rewriting the disciplinary rules even before the tournament started.
The pattern of pardons opened FIFA to proposals for administrative intervention in the legal independence of its judicial bodies.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been cleared to play in Portugal's World Cup opener despite receiving a red card for a poor performance in a qualifier against Ireland last November. He elbowed the opponent.
Ronaldo served his mandatory ban in Portugal's final qualifying game but was dropped from the expected two-match ban because FIFA introduced the idea of probation. The three-game ban imposed was meaningless as two games were postponed during the one-year probationary period.
In the opening match on June 11, South Africa's Themba Zwane received a red card against Mexico for an offense similar to Ronaldo's and FIFA then imposed a three-match suspension without probation. Zwane did not play again in the World Cup.
The three players who were sent off in the qualifiers for their teams last year were surprisingly told by FIFA in May that they can serve their bans in the upcoming tournament instead of the World Cup, which has been in place for a long time.
Ecuador midfielder Moisés Caicedo, Argentina defender Nicolás Otamendi and Qatar defender Tarek Salman have all had their World Cup bans lifted.
This, FIFA said in May, was to ensure that teams “can compete with their teams as strongly as possible at the biggest stage in international men's football.”
Balogun's decision only furthered this goal, although not the other red carded players so far who were ordered to miss at least one game.
“It is a goal enshrined in the rules, which cannot be done without exception,” said UEFA, “not to mention in the middle of the competition when many other players were in the same situation and used to their suspension.”
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