UEFA has issued a scathing statement slamming FIFA's 'unjustifiable' decision to overturn USA star Folarin Balogun's red card and allow him to feature in their last-16 showdown with Belgium.
FIFA's Controversial Clause
Following his dismissal for serious foul play against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, former Arsenal frontman Balogun was set to sit out Tuesday's encounter in Seattle. But FIFA controversially activated an obscure clause in its regulations to postpone Balogun's suspension for one year in a massive fillip for the co-hosts, as the 25-year-old leads their scoring charts at the World Cup.
It has also come to light that United States President Donald Trump contacted FIFA's Gianni Infantino in a bid to have the red card rescinded, though FIFA maintains that the conversation had no bearing on their decision.
UEFA's Reaction
Infantino and FIFA have encountered fierce criticism, with the Belgian FA confirming in a statement that they are 'investigating all potential options'. UEFA have now delivered their assessment and declared that the ruling 'crossed a red line', branding it as 'unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable'.
Their statement read: "Yesterday's decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line."
"Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not. A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted."
"It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension. When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined."
"Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition. Football is the most loved sport in the world because it is a beautiful game and is trusted because it is played everywhere with the same laws."
"A tournament is never a pure standalone and, if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to drive positive or negative consequences on the game as a whole. We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision."
Belgium's Response
Speaking after the news broke on Monday afternoon, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia likened the decision to an April Fools' joke. Garcia, whose team dramatically triumphed over Senegal 3-2 in the previous round, joked: "I didn't know that July 5 was equal to April 1 at FIFA."
"I think we should refer to the [statement] of my federation, the Belgian federation. I think a lot of things are in it. The federation does not defend itself, it does not defend the national team - it defends football in general. It defends its integrity. It defends its ethics."
