Topline
FIFA has rejected the Royal Belgian Football Association’s appeal of its decision to lift a one-game suspension of U.S. star player Folarin Balogun, after President Donald Trump lobbied the organization to let Balogun play in Monday’s game against Belgium.
Key Facts
The FIFA Appeal Committee determined the RBFA’s request challenging Balogun’s eligibility as “inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,” according to multiple reports.
The announcement comes after the RBFA accused FIFA of unfairly handling the appeal process, saying in a statement Monday morning that it wrote to FIFA to request a full explanation of its decision to lift the suspension, and FIFA wrote back saying it considered the letter a formal appeal and appointed a judge to handle the case.
FIFA gave the RBFA “only a few hours to complete that appeal,” the association said; FIFA reportedly gave a deadline of 8 a.m. ET for countries to submit appeal information, according to the New York Times.
The RBFA said previously it was “astonished” by the decision to allow Balogun to play, noting FIFA’s disciplinary code states that a red card results in an automatic suspension for a team’s next game, “as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.”
Trump said during a news conference Monday he was “the one who got” FIFA to lift the suspension after calling the organization’s president, Gianni Infantino, adding that the referee in the U.S. game against Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 “made a call that nobody could believe" against Balogun and that when he found out what a red card was he said, “you gotta be kidding!”
Infantino defended the red card amid criticism of Trump’s intervention in a statement that acknowledged he regularly discusses World Cup matters with Trump and insisting FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent and “decide cases based on their applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”
Chief Critics
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia quipped during a press conference Sunday he didn’t know that July 5 at the World Cup was “April Fool’s Day" and said that when Belgium goes out to play on Monday night, it is not defending the national team or the country’s soccer federation, but rather “defending football with its ethics and integrity.” Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, seated next to Garcia, said the team was surprised by the timing of the decision—just a day before the game—but “nothing changes” for the player and the team’s focus is on the pitch. 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 President Donald 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.”
further reading
Trump Spoke With FIFA President Before Folarin Balogun’s Red Card Was Suspended, Report Says (Forbes)
Source: Forbes
