Hey Florian @balogun , hear me out my brother in football⚽️
this is not about whether the red card was right or wrong anymore. That debate will never end. This is about the integrity of football.
If I were in your boots, I’d refuse to play against Belgium. Not because I think you’re a bad player or because you asked for any of this, i think you are great, but because politics has now entered the game.
A President of the United States publicly intervened, FIFA softened your suspension, and UEFA says FIFA crossed a red line. If you step onto that pitch, fair or unfair, millions of people will forever question whether you should have been there.
Don’t forget that your career is in Europe, the home of the world’s biggest clubs, the highest level of football, and fans who treat this sport almost like a religion. They care deeply about the integrity of the game. If it were me, I wouldn’t risk carrying this controversy for the rest of your career over a single match. One act of principle today could earn more respect than a hundred goals tomorrow.
Be a hero, don’t get branded as a corrupt loser, fans all over the world will remember your choice. Forever. One game can change all your career and life, choose wisely.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino:
“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.”
@AmericanHoolis I was lowkey lookin forward to watching Pepi start🥹 Love Balogun and he’s obviously our best striker but I would love to see Pepi get a goal after being left out last WC
“USA just made the entire world root for Paraguay”
“USA just made the entire world root for
Australia”
“USA just made the entire world root for Bosnia”
“USA just made the entire world root for Belgium”
It’s ok you can just admit you think America = Bad
Such a spectacle to see all these euro soccer journalists and federations climb atop a moral high horse to say the integrity of the game demands that an incorrect call, enforced by an incorrect application of VAR, deprive the U.S. of a full squad.