JUST IN: FIFA President Gianni Infantino breaks silence, says decision to lift the suspension of USA's Folarin Balogun had nothing to do with President Trump's call.
Read his statement below:
"I have seen the public comments regarding the decision of the independent Fifa Disciplinary Committee related to the suspension of Folarin Balogun, and I would like to reiterate a fundamental principle of Fifa’s governance.
Fifa’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the Fifa Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them. Their independence is essential to the credibility and integrity of football, and this must always be respected.
Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the Fifa World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues.
During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving Fifa’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies. That is how Fifa’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.
I read the decisions of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee when they are issued. Sometimes I am surprised by them. Sometimes I agree with them, and sometimes I disagree.
What I always do, however, is respect those decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them. Whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant. Respect for independent institutions and the rule of law is what protects the integrity of our competitions and the credibility of Fifa at all times."
This is probably the biggest scandal in World Cup history.
USA striker Folarin Balogun committed this outrageous foul against Bosnia and was shown a straight red card… but here’s where it gets crazy.
The White House publicly contacted FIFA and the tournament organizers, asking them to lift his suspension. And they actually did. Balogun is now eligible to play against Belgium.
The organizers cited something called a “probation period,” meaning the red card still stands, but instead of serving the mandatory suspension, he’ll only be punished if he commits a similar offense again.
A blatant manipulation of the rules for everyone to see, especially considering red-card suspensions are not supposed to be appealable.
When you’re expelled from school, but your dad is the Principal. 😭