UEFA have torn into FIFA following their decision to overrule Folarin Balogun’s red card.
The United States are back in action on Monday, where they will face Belgium in Seattle as the two nations battle for a spot in the last eight of the tournament.
Despite picking up a straight red card in the previous round, Balogun will now be eligible to face Belgium after FIFA intervention.
President Donald Trump has thanked FIFA after making Mauricio Pochettino’s star striker available again for their game on Monday.
However, this is not a decision that has gone down well across the globe.
Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised FIFA and, now, UEFA have shared their concerns at the message this sends out.
UEFA issue clear statement to FIFA over Folarin Balogun decision
It has been suggested that Trump intervened to help facilitate FIFA’s decision to make Balogun available for the game on Monday.
It has been a chaotic 24 hours in the world of soccer, with England’s game against Mexico also involving a number of refereeing controversies.
However, the focus remains on Balogun’s suspension being overturned, with UEFA far from impressed.
“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,” read the statement from UEFA.
“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.”
The United States are pleased FIFA overturned Balogun’s suspension, with Belgium left furious.
“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,” UEFA said.
“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.”
To no surprise, the Belgian FA voiced their frustrations over FIFA’s decision.
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