President Donald Trump confirmed on Monday he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to see if he could get U.S. Men’s National Team star Folarin Balogun reinstated for the next World Cup match after he was hit with a controversial red card, which would have kept him out of Monday’s game against Belgium.
Trump was asked to describe his call with Infantino during a press conference at the White House. The president said he understands sports “really well,” so he felt compelled to say something when he watched a slow motion replay of the collision that led to Balogun’s red card.
“They got sort of entangled. He didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s our best player — or one of our best players. A very vital player. And he gave him a red card. I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t think it meant much,” Trump said. “Then I started hearing that that means he can’t play in the next game — at least in the next game. I said, boy, that’s a big [problem]. You know, if it happened to another player, it would have been unfair. But when they take your best player, or just about — they have some great players — and they say you can’t play, that’s very unfair.”
Trump continued, “It’s one thing to penalize somebody for the game. But how do you penalize him for a game that hasn’t been played yet? You can’t do that. So yes, I asked for a review.”
He added the ref who made the call was “a little bit suspect.”
The president continued on for a few more minutes. He showered Infantino with praise, saying his respect had gone up “10-fold” — after he was already well-liked — and talked about how the World Cup was getting Super Bowl-like ratings, Trump said.
He circled back a moment later to the call he made.
“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say you have to do this. This man is a smart, tough man, Gianni Infantino. He’s a smart, tough man, and his stock has gone through the roof because the job he’s done has been great,” Trump said. “And I feel we have to have all the best players on the field. You can’t take the best players.”
The president said he is “very glad” about the decision, but Team Belgium is not. The Royal Belgian Football Association complained on Sunday it was “astonished” Balogun was going to be able to play on Monday.
Trump on Monday said it wouldn’t have been a real match if Balogun was kept out, though.
“The people in Belgium, if they win the game, they can be very proud,” Trump said. “If they would win the game with a player missing, it would have been a different feeling. You can’t do that.”
Watch above via CNN.
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Source: Mediaite
