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USA striker Folarin Balogun predicted that President Trump’s involvement in lifting his World Cup suspension “will cause a lot of controversy”.
The Monaco forward was sent off with a red card in the United States’ round-of-32 meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but FIFA’s disciplinary committee then suspended the one-match ban for a year, allowing Balogun to participate in the Americans’ last-16 loss to Belgium.
Balogun has found himself a lightning rod in the resulting firestorm of controversy, and on Tuesday morning the human rights group Fairsquare filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee that FIFA President Gianni Infantino violated rules of political neutrality in his dealings with President Trump, who admitted that he had personally intervened on behalf of Balogun and the United States.
Balogun said CBS: “My initial reaction was I was happy to be back in the team, but when I started thinking, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy, and I could almost see some nerves among my teammates, because it’s something that’s very unique.
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US President Donald Trump has admitted he asked FIFA to review the suspension of Folarin Balogun in the Round of 16 match against Belgium because of the striker’s red card against Bosnia.
“But as we got closer to the game I tried to focus as well as I could, but it was hard. A lot of outside noise, and it’s hard to avoid.”
The red card issued to the Arsenal academy product for a tackle on Tarik Muharmovic was still not the right decision.
He added: “I was shocked. It wasn’t even a tackle. I was completely shocked, I think you could see my reaction, but I just had to accept the decision and try to be there for my team.
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Sky Sports’ Gail Davies explains how Folarin Balogun’s red card against Bosnia became the biggest controversy of the World Cup
“It should never be a red card when something is not intentional, so it was just an unfortunate situation and I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed.”
Fairsquare said Infantino – who became an IOC member in 2020 – repeatedly violated the Olympic Charter and the IOC’s code of ethics, most recently in his handling of the Folarin Balogun affair.
The Times Disciplinary committee chairman Mohammed Al Kamali alone made the key decision to suspend the ban, the report said, adding that he had never been the sole arbitrator in any previously published disciplinary case.
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Mauricio Pochettino says the Folarin Balogun controversy, which involved Donald Trump, should not be used as an excuse to exclude the United States from the World Cup.
FIFA did not provide an explanation as to why the ban was lifted.
Fairsquare’s complaint alleges five clear violations of the IOC’s rules on political neutrality, along with “primary” evidence of two more serious violations – including the handling of the Balogun case.
In December, Fairsquare made a similar complaint to FIFA’s ethics committee. Fairsquare said it acknowledged its complaint had been received, but had no further information.
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Gary Neville calls decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red card a ‘stain on FIFA’ after Donald Trump’s intervention
The Norwegian Football Federation wrote to FIFA’s ethics committee last month requesting that Fairsquare’s complaint be considered.
Fifty members of the European Parliament wrote to the same committee on June 29 calling for Fairsquare’s allegations.
D Press Association The IOC has been contacted for comment.
FIFA declined to comment when contacted Sky Sports News.
