Trump confirms asking FIFA to review Balogun’s red card ban
The President of the United States of America Donald Trump has confirmed that he asked FIFA to review the red card ban given to USMNT striker Folarin Balogun in the team’s match against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 at the World Cup.
Trump who made the confirmation in a statement issued on Monday said that he called FIFA president Gianni Infantino to suspend the red card given to Balogun describing the decision to hand the player the caution as a “terrible call”.
He stated that all he asked for from FIFA was a review of the red card call which has now been overturned – making the player available to face Belgium in the round-of-16 encounter.
“All I did was ask for a review. I didn’t say, you have to do this,” Trump said at a White House media briefing Monday. “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 has done has been great. I feel like we have to have all the best players on the field.”
However, Infantino also issued a statement suggesting that Trump did not influence the declaration to overturn Balogun’s red card while arguing that FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent, and operate autonomously.
Read Also: ‘Shameful’ – Fans blast FIFA for suspending Balogun’s ban
Infantino insisted that the White House or Trump’s influence could not affect the decision due to the powers contained in Article 27 and the independent nature of the disciplinary panel.
“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.
“I read the decisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
“What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of FIFA at all times.”
The first time a player has had an active World Cup tournament red-card suspension lifted was in the year 1962 when Brazil’s Garrincha was cleared to play under political pressure.
