The conflict between Ceferin and Infantino is burning. Why did the UEFA president boycott the World Cup final?

The president of the European Football Association (UEFA), Aleksandar Ceferin, boycotted the final match of the World Cup in protest against the decision of the International Football Federation (FIFA) to suspend the application of the one-match ban imposed on him. Striker Folarin BalogunIn the latest chapter of tension between the two institutions.

American forward Folarin Balogun was the subject of widespread controversy before the USA team lost to Belgium in the round of 16 of the World Cup.

The “Monaco” striker was sent off after interfering with Tarik Maharemovic during the USA team’s 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 32nd round.

Under the rules, Balogun should have been banned from the next match against Belgium, but US President Donald Trump intervened and spoke directly to FIFA president Gianni Infantino before suspending the ban for 12 months, allowing the player to play against Belgium.

FIFA decided to suspend the application of the penalty for 12 months based on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Regulations.

British “The Times” newspaper revealed Ceferin has not yet overcome the consequences of the Balogun crisis, as he chose to boycott the World Cup finals, and this issue was one of the main reasons for his absence from the game.

The newspaper noted that relations between UEFA and FIFA have been strained since the tournament, and that Ceferini was not happy with the decision of the American authorities to prevent the entry of Somali referee Omar Artan into the country.

Artan was later appointed to officiate the European Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa the following August.

FIFA’s failure to treat Iran accordingly has also sparked outrage at UEFA, with the European Union objecting to changes to some of the game’s rules, such as the introduction of water breaks and the extension of half-time in the final match due to mid-play.

Ceferin, who was present at the tournament’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa, was also prominent in his criticism of FIFA’s dynamic pricing strategy for ticket sales.