President Trump confirms he asked FIFA to ‘review’ Balogun suspension | OneFootball

US president Donald Trump has confirmed he spoke to FIFA to ask them to review Folarin Balogun’s suspension for the game against Belgium.

Balogun was sent off for the USA in their round of 32 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, but FIFA opted to suspend the striker’s red card ban for a year, meaning he can play in the round of 16 clash with Belgium.

“Yes, I asked for a review by FIFA,” Trump admitted. “I spoke to a man who is highly respected (FIFA president Gianni Infantino) and, by the way, whose level of respect has gone up tenfold, and it was good before this started.

“That wasn’t a foul. That wasn’t even an infraction. That was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other.

“He gave a red card. I didn’t know what that meant, then I started hearing that it means he can’t play in the next game, at least. If it happened to another player it would have been unfair but when they take your best player, or just about, they have some great players, and they say you can’t play, that’s very unfair.”

The decision to allow Balogun to play has attracted widespread criticism from across football, including European football’s governing body UEFA.

In response to the criticism, FIFA president Infantino said: “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.

“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.

“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.”