The United States will finally be able to count on a solid attack to face Belgium this Monday, July 6. Fifa has decided to suspend the red card inflicted on American striker Folarin Balogun on Wednesday, during the match won by his team against Bosnia-Herzegovina (2-0). The AS Monaco player was sent off the field for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic, after stepping on his leg when receiving a jump.
As required by the regulations, this direct red card led to his suspension for the following match, that of the round of 16. But Fifa announced on Sunday that its disciplinary committee had modified the sanction, changing it “from a firm suspension match to a suspended suspension match, accompanied by a probationary period of one year”.
This decision came after a call from Donald Trump to Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, to ask him to review the decision. Revealed by the New York Times then confirmed by several media, this intervention caused a lively controversy. On social networks, a photomontage showing the American striker brandishing a card bearing the image of the American president in front of the referee has circulated widely.
A decision justified by article 27
In theory, however, the rules of the case are clear: during the World Cup, a red card automatically results in the suspension of the player for the following match, and the team does not have the possibility of appealing the decision. Under Article 27, only the disciplinary committee can partially or entirely suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.
It is this article that Fifa brandished to justify the suspension of the sanction imposed on Folarin Balogun. The decision sparked a new storm for the body that manages world football. The Belgians were offended. The powerful European federation judged that Fifa had even “crossed a red line”: “Football, like any other sport, is based on rules, which are the foundation of fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes the rules are open to interpretation. In this case, this is not the case. »
Could this – almost unprecedented – turnaround by Fifa under pressure from Donald Trump open the way to the lifting of other sanctions? Some hope so. The French Football Federation (FFF) requested on Sunday the cancellation of the yellow card received by Michael Olise during the victory of the French team against Paraguay in the round of 16 (1-0).
In added time, the French playmaker was sanctioned by Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev for an altercation with the Paraguayan Matias Galarza while the images clearly show that Michael Olise does not touch his opponent. The Bayern Munich player puts his finger in front of his mouth and, in the process, the Paraguayan midfielder collapses on the pitch, feigning a blow to the Frenchman’s face, which prompted the referee to warn him. If Fifa does not cancel this sanction, this yellow card will remain like a sword of Damocles above his head until the end of the quarters, where the yellow cards will be reset to zero.
