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President Donald Trump on Balogun red card suspension
ByKeifer MacDonaldBBC Sport journalist
President Donald Trump has confirmed he asked Fifa to review United States striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match suspension at the World Cup.
Trump says football’s world governing body “made the right decision” to suspend Balogun’s ban, adding it would have left a “big stain” on the tournament had it been implemented.
Balogun, 25, was set to be suspended for his side’s last-16 tie against Belgium on Tuesday after being shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.
But on Sunday, Fifa made the shock decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, freeing the way for the United States forward – who has scored three goals at this summer’s tournament – to be selected for the match in Seattle.
Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump said he had asked Fifa to review the decision because he “didn’t think it was a foul”.
Although Trump confirmed he spoke to Fifa president Gianni Infantino, he said “all” he did was ask for a review and added that he did not tell the Swiss he had to suspend Balogun’s ban.
“I thought it was two great athletes who crashed into each other and got entangled,” said Trump
“I think it [the suspension] would have left a big stain. I can’t tell them what to do. I don’t believe they made the decision; I believe it was the commission that made the decision. And it was the right decision.”
Earlier on Monday, the Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by Fifa’s decision to allow Balogun to be selected for the last-16 tie.
Asked about Trump’s comments, Belgium’s claims and the appeal process, Fifa said it had “nothing more” to add “for now”.
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‘Sportsmanship in question’ after decision to suspend Balogun red card
“Regardless of the sporting outcome of this match, the RBFA is deeply concerned by the course of events and will continue to fight in the coming hours, days and months in defence of the fundamental principles of ethics, fair competition, and the interests of football as a whole,” said a RBFA statement.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who saw his own side reduced to 10 men against Mexico following the red card for Jarell Quansah, said the ruling set a dangerous precedent.
“Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that,” he said.
“Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card? Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end? It’s my question. I don’t have an answer.”
Uefa, European football’s governing body, said that intervening to effectively cancel a suspension at a tournament “crossed a red line”.
Of the 189 other red cards at the World Cup, only one other time has a player escaped a suspension.
That was Brazil’s Garrincha in 1962, which was before automatic bans were in place and the failure to impose a sanction was shrouded in allegations of political interference.
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Tuchel asks Trump to overturn Quansah red card
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