UEFA criticizes FIFA for “crossing a red line” over Balogun suspension
UEFA has launched a scathing attack on FIFA, accusing the world football governing body of having “crossed a red line” by lifting the suspension of forward Folarin Balogun, allowing him to play for the United States in the round of 16 clash against Belgium. The decision, made on Sunday, was described by UEFA as “incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” at a time when the Belgian Football Federation filed an appeal to contest the player's eligibility.
Folarin Balogun, who had been sent off in the USA's 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, participated normally in the training of the U.S. national team in Washington, shortly after the announcement of the lifting of his suspension. The process took on controversial dimensions when it was revealed that Donald Trump, the President of the United States, had called FIFA three times since Wednesday, pressuring for the red card to be revoked so that Balogun could play.
The World Cup is experienced with LEGO.
In a statement released on Sunday, UEFA condemned the decision: “Yesterday’s decision to suspend, for a probationary period of one year, the implementation of the automatic one-match suspension resulting from the red card shown to player Folarin Balogun has crossed a red line. Football, like any other sport, is based on rules, which are the foundation for fair, honest, and transparent competition. Sometimes, the rules are open to interpretation. In this case, they are not.” The European governing body further added: “The minimum automatic one-match suspension after a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require a decision from a competent body to be applied. It is a principle enshrined in the regulations, which cannot be subject to exceptions, much less in the middle of a competition where other players have already served their suspensions. When the certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by their guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake, and the credibility of the competition is undermined. This decision also creates a precedent, as similar situations will now have to be treated in the same way, to the detriment of the competition. We express our disbelief at an unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unjustifiable decision.”
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) also expressed “astonishment” at FIFA's decision and, according to coach Rudi Garcia, likened the decision to an “April Fool's joke.” The RBFA filed an appeal without knowing the detailed reasons for the reversal of the suspension, having only been informed of a brief reference to Article 27 of FIFA's disciplinary code, which allows for the total or partial suspension of disciplinary measures.
The Belgian appeal will be reviewed by a member of FIFA's appeals committee who does not represent either UEFA or CONCACAF, in order to avoid conflicts of interest. FIFA is now under intense scrutiny due to the unprecedented nature of the decision and the revelation of Donald Trump's direct involvement. The RBFA has already indicated its intention to pursue legal action, claiming that FIFA has violated its own statutes.
The controversy has also reached the political arena. Maxime Prévot, Belgium's Minister of Foreign Affairs and a former referee, criticized FIFA: “If a phone call is really the reason for this incomprehensible decision, it would be a flagrant violation of the most basic rules of football and sport.” Glen Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, stated: “Decisions about rules and sporting issues belong to sports bodies, not politicians. Influencing sporting decisions would undermine the autonomy of sport.” In London, an official spokesperson for Keir Starmer defended: “These decisions belong to the body that governs the World Cup and should remain so. The Prime Minister supports the integrity of competition across all sports.”
On the American side, Mauricio Pochettino, the coach of the USA, praised FIFA's decision and reiterated that the red card shown by Raphael Claus was too harsh: “Everyone who truly loves the sport and believes in ethics and integrity, I think, celebrates this decision. We were penalized enough against Bosnia and Herzegovina by playing with 10 men for 30 minutes due to a completely unjust decision… 99.9% of people agree that it was an unjust red card.”
The outcome of the Belgian appeal and the eventual reasoning behind FIFA's decision remain uncertain. This information was not indicated in the original text.
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
NOW YOU CAN FOLLOW THE WORLD CUP WITH ALL THE INFORMATION – HERE
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
