The crisis is intensifying… UEFA attacks FIFA. what happened is a “gross violation of red lines”.

The European Football Association (UEFA) issued a scathing statement on Monday condemning FIFA’s decision to suspend US striker Folarin Balogun’s automatic ban for a one-year trial, describing the decision as “crossing a red line”.

The controversial decision came as FIFA allowed the American striker to play his country’s match against Belgium in the round of 16, despite being sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the previous round.

While the American side celebrated the decision, the Belgian federation announced its great surprise and the study of all available legal remedies, especially after the website “The Athletic” revealed a phone conversation between Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino to press for the lifting of the punishment.

UEFA said in a statement that the decision “undermines the integrity of the game and the credibility of competitions”, stressing that the automatic one-match suspension after a red card “is not a discretionary option, but a principle laid down in the regulations, which is not subject to exceptions”.

The European Union emphasized that the implementation of this decision “in a tournament where other players faced the same situation and regularly suffered their punishment” is a gross violation of the principle of equality.

UEFA warned that the decision “sets a dangerous precedent that demands equal treatment in similar situations, which harms competition”, adding that “football enjoys global trust because it is played under uniform laws everywhere”.

The statement ends by emphasizing that “the World Cup is not an isolated event, but has positive or negative consequences for the game as a whole.”