The Balogun Red Card Saga Gets Even Wilder As Trump and FIFA President Weigh In

Posted by:

By Nick Arama

As we reported, Folarin Balogun was given a red card during the last U.S. World Cup game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That meant he couldn't play the rest of the game, and he was suspended for the next game, Monday evening's game with Belgium.

There was a lot of uproar about the call, as my colleague Bob Hoge noted. 

It was also a big disadvantage to the U.S. team to lose one of their top strikers, although as I noted, Balogun took it with grace. 

The foul wasn't even called initially. It wasn't called until there was a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) review. That raised questions about whether the protocols were being improperly applied because the VAR's slow motion tends to distort the facts, as they note in the commentary here.

Then on Sunday, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) changed its decision, putting the suspension on hold and allowing Balogun to play in the game, although they didn't let him off completely. 

Under Article 27, FIFA can suspend the implementation of disciplinary measures, and that was what they cited in their decision. 

"By operation of Article 27 FDC, the implementation of the automatic suspension for USA player Folarin Balogun is suspended for a probationary period of one [1] year," the soccer governing body said in a statement.

Then came drama with some upset by that decision. 

U.S. soccer had been preparing a challenge to the suspension, according to reports. 

Then it broke that President Donald Trump had called the FIFA President Gianni Infantino to ask about the decision. 

Then, Belgium, which is the team the U.S. is next to play (and who would benefit by Balogun continuing to be suspended), got upset and tried to challenge FIFA's decision. 

However, FIFA dismissed the challenge, saying Belgium didn't have standing to challenge the decision in a game in which they didn't take part. 

“The request was rendered inadmissible on the grounds that the RBFA [Royal Belgian Football Association] is not a party to the proceedings and, as such, has no standing to appeal the decision,” FIFA said in a statement.

The RBFA, which earlier had released a statement saying it didn’t even intend to appeal, but only to request an explanation, which had been constituted by FIFA as an appeal, released a statement as well saying it told the U.S. Soccer Federation that it will contest Balogun’s availability after the game if he plays.

Then, as Trump explained on Monday, he had just asked for a review because of the bad call.

While Trump said he spoke to Infantino, he did not tell him what to do. 

Infantino confirmed this, and he explained that the decision wasn't even his, but that of a disciplinary committee that reviews such things. 

“I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of FIFA’s governance,” Infantino said in a statement.

“FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.

“Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues. During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving FIFA’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold."

So, while there may be people spouting off, it looks like an improper decision was ultimately righted. Such a decision was not unprecedented. For example, Cristiano Ronaldo, who got a red card in the qualifying match (and had a clearer foul), got a suspension that would have been for the opening World Cup match. But FIFA then suspended part of his punishment, allowing him to play. That also relied upon Article 27.



Original Here

Join the Conversation!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We have a wonderful, active, and engaged community. Come join us in the comments section below! You'll need a Hyvor account (100% free) if you don't already have one. 
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐