UEFA have come out swinging after FIFA's farcical red card U-turn – and the Hotline isn't pulling any punches either. A phone call from Donald Trump to FIFA chief Gianni Infantino resulted in Folarin Balogun's suspension being put on ice to allow him to play against Belgium.
Fans react to Trump's interference
Paul Price, Glasgow, said: "The fact that Donald Trump has interfered in how the World Cup is played is totally despicable and unacceptable. For FIFA to bow down to this despot is crass in every definition of the word. I applaud UEFA for their stance against what surely now can only be defined as a tyrannical organisation calling itself FIFA! For the good of the game I would like to see the USA football team take a stance and not field Balogun in the next match!"
Stuart McLeod said: "After years of watching the SFA and SPFL hierarchy doing what suits them best, it was absolutely no surprise to see FIFA suspend the red card punishment to a striker of the host nation for a year. The sport that used to be played by the people for the people has become unrecognisable. This will be the first season since the 80s I haven't renewed my season ticket. The game has zero transparency and zero accountability anymore."
England triumph at altitude
England defied the altitude concerns to win a World Cup thriller against Mexico at the Azteca. Most of Scotland watched through their fingers but one caller was chuffed...for the sake of his bank balance! Bud Hay, Dumfries, said: "I can't be doing with the English, but they did me a favour. I put a daft £10 bet on them to win 3-2 at 33/1! Now I'm going to bet them to win, I hope it comes up again."
Stephen Johnstone, Ardentinny, said: "England, our rivals in national football, were applaudable for their historic ten-man performance against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium. They outplayed them seven thousand feet above sea level, high altitude. Thomas Tuchel could play the next game on the moon as he has created a happy atmosphere and Kane and co will eliminate the previous failures since the 1966 team by winning the World Cup."
Norway's inspiration and Celtic's transfer woes
Norway showed Scotland how it's done by beating Brazil to advance to the quarter-finals and Cooper Steven, Kent, said: "Congratulations to Norway for beating the mighty Brazil, qualifying for their first World Cup quarter-final, and for showing us Scots what is possible when you play with belief, structure, perfect game planning, and a total commitment and acceptance that getting to the World Cup Finals is just the start of the journey, not the final destination. Norway have been truly inspirational, and we have many lessons to learn from them that need to be applied for the future of the Scottish national team, but beyond that, to the entire setup of the Scottish game, otherwise we will have another wasted generation of promise on our hands."
And it wouldn't be a summer edition of the Hotline without some Celtic transfer moans. Kenny Wilson, Moffat, said: "It’s not panic stations yet regarding signings at Celtic but I said that at the same time last year and our transfer window was a shambles. Dermot Desmond and the rest will never learn and once again it looks like they’re taking the fans money just to sit in the bank once again. If money is not spent it’s going to be another disjointed season with protests galore and that will just hand Rangers the title."
