UEFA slams FIFA after political lobbying waives Balogun ban
FIFA's unprecedented decision to waive US striker Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension following White House lobbying has drawn fierce condemnation from European football authorities.
US striker Folarin Balogun started his side's last-16 World Cup defeat by Belgium despite receiving a straight red card for serious foul play in the previous match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Football's world governing body chose to suspend his automatic one-game ban for a year, a move that European football's governing body Uefa immediately labelled "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable".
The fierce reaction from European administrators stems from the revelation that US President Donald Trump and White House officials directly lobbied FIFA regarding the Monaco forward's sanction. For European football and its institutions, this intervention raises serious concerns about the vulnerability of global sports governance to direct political pressure.
The sense of a double standard is reinforced by FIFA's treatment of European-based players during the same tournament. Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah was shown a red card for England following a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo against Mexico. Instead of receiving a waiver, Quansah was handed a two-match ban by the exact same FIFA disciplinary committee, receiving an extra match on top of the standard automatic suspension.
Balogun, who scored three goals at the World Cup but failed to find the net against Belgium, admitted the ruling generated significant tension. "My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team but when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to start a lot of controversy," he told CBS. The 25-year-old noted he could "almost see within my team-mates a bit of nerves because it is something that is so unique."
Because a waiver for a straight red card is highly unusual, Balogun had not been involved in early preparations for the Belgium match. "It was confusing as the team was practising without me in the team. I almost played a supporting role to keep the morale high," he said. He only learned he could play while on the team bus, prompting "screaming and shouting" among the squad.
The US ultimately lost the match 4-1. Balogun insisted the off-pitch drama did not distract Mauricio Pochettino's side. "It was about separating the emotion from the job at hand. We are all professionals," he added.
Despite the widespread condemnation, the head of FIFA's disciplinary committee has refused to answer BBC questions about the decision-making process. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously denied having any influence over disciplinary decisions.
