Folarin Balogun anticipated controversy over ban suspension
Controversy Surrounds Ban Suspension
United States striker Folarin Balogun stated he expected significant controversy following Fifa’s decision to suspend his one-game ban during the World Cup. Balogun noted that he observed a degree of unease among his teammates due to the unusual nature of the situation.
Balogun, who is 25, received a red card for serious foul play in the last 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina. This incident would typically lead to an automatic suspension. However, Fifa’s disciplinary committee opted to suspend his ban, a decision that drew considerable criticism. This condemnation intensified when it was revealed that US President Donald Trump and officials from the White House had engaged with football’s global governing body regarding Balogun’s sanction.
The decision allowed Balogun, who scored three goals in the World Cup, to participate in the USA’s last-16 match against Belgium. Uefa, European football’s governing body, described this decision as “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
Balogun recounted his initial reaction, stating, “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 and I could almost see within my team-mates a bit of nerves because it is something that is so unique.” He added that despite efforts to focus, the “outside noise is hard to avoid.”
Impact on Team and Preparations
The decision to waive Balogun’s suspension was communicated two days before the United States faced Belgium. Balogun learned he could play while on the team bus, which he described as leading to “screaming and shouting” among the squad. Given the unusual circumstances of avoiding an immediate suspension for a straight red card, Balogun mentioned he had not been involved in the early preparations for the game.
The Monaco striker explained, “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 further detailed the moment of discovery: “When we found out on the team bus, everyone was screaming and shouting. It was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field.”
Despite the outcome of the match against Belgium, Balogun, who did not score in that game, believes it did not distract Mauricio Pochettino’s side. He noted, “It was about separating the emotion from the job at hand. We are all professionals.” Balogun concluded that the team maintained full concentration for the game.
The head of Fifa’s disciplinary committee did not provide answers regarding the decision-making process that led to Balogun avoiding a ban. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has previously denied influencing disciplinary decisions.
Similar Disciplinary Cases
In a separate incident, England’s Jarell Quansah received a red card during England’s 3-2 win over Mexico for a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo. The same committee subsequently ruled that Quansah should serve a two-match ban. This was classified as serious foul play, resulting in the Bayer Leverkusen player receiving an additional match suspension beyond the automatic one-game ban from Fifa.
The Arsenal academy product still maintains that the red card he received for a tackle on Tarik Muharemovic was not the correct decision. He stated, “I was in shock. It wasn’t even a tackle. I was totally in shock, I think you could see my reaction, but I just had to accept the decision and just try to be there for my team.”
Human rights group FairSquare submitted a complaint to the International Olympic Committee, alleging that Fifa president Gianni Infantino breached rules on political neutrality in his dealings with President Trump. President Trump admitted to personally intervening on behalf of Balogun and the US co-hosts. FairSquare’s complaint alleges five clear breaches of the IOC’s rules on political neutrality, along with evidence of two further serious breaches, including the handling of the Balogun case.
The Norwegian football federation wrote to Fifa’s ethics committee last month, requesting consideration of FairSquare’s complaint. Additionally, fifty members of the European Parliament urged the same committee on June 29 to address FairSquare’s complaint.
Reports indicate that the disciplinary committee chair, Mohammad Al Kamali, made the key decision to suspend the ban alone, despite not having been the sole arbiter in any previously published disciplinary cases. Fifa has not provided an explanation for why the ban was suspended.
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Source: bbc.com
