EU lawmakers call for probe of FIFA boss over Trump contact before US-Belgium match

Dozens of European lawmakers are gathering support to launch an investigation in the European Parliament of FIFA boss Gianni Infantino over his involvement in the decision to permit U.S. striker Folarin Balogun to play despite an earlier red card. Balogun was shown a red card during the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1, which normally would make him ineligible to play in team’s next game, but FIFA lifted his suspension for a match on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened with Infantino on behalf of the 25-year-old striker.

European Parliament lawmakers Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters and Niels Fuglsang said in a joint statement that FIFAs decision to “change the rule on red card suspensions mid-tournament is a disgrace and a perversion of justice.” “Once again, we’ve seen Infantino and FIFA surrender to the demands of the Trump administration,” the statement said.

FIFA has said the lifting of the suspension was a decision of a disciplinary committee .The lawmakers said that 35 colleagues have so far signed the letter. “The beauty of sport is that it is based on impartial and transparent rules. When Infantino allows political pressure to determine who gets to play, this sense of fairness goes out the window,” they said

Note: Where was FIFA?

The referee denied entry to the United States by the Trump administration is Omar Abdulkadir Artan of Somalia.

The official members of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee elected by the FIFA Congress to serve alongside Chairperson Mohammad Al Kamali and Deputy Chairperson Anin Yeboah include the following international legal and football experts:

• Andres Paton (Argentina)
• Bastian Haslinger (Germany)
• Cristina Gonzalez (Guatemala)
• Dan Kakaraya (Papua New Guinea)
• Domingos Monteiro (São Tomé and Príncipe)
• Jahangir Baglari (IR Iran)
• Larissa Zakharova (Russia)
• Margarita Cabello (Colombia)
• Oliver Smith (Turks and Caicos Islands)
• Salman Al Ansari (Qatar)
• Samuel Ram (Fiji)
• Tebogo Sebego (Botswana)

JACK WARNER WANTS INFANTINO'S HEAD

Former FIFA vice president Jack Warner is calling on member countries to vote current president Gianni Infantino out of office, following his apparent decision to influence the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to lift a red card suspension against United States striker Folarin Balogun following a direct intervention from US President Donald Trump. Speaking after the decision, which allowed Balogun to play in the United States' Round-of-16 match against Belgium yesterday, shocked the footballing world, Warner said it appeared football had been infiltrated by politics and money. “This is madness. And this has to stop somewhere, and for it to be stopped, Infantino has to be voted out of office. That is how it seems to me,” Warner explained.

However, a statement from UEFA immediately said FIFA had crossed the red line in its decision, while the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has vowed to explore all options available in order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in the sport at the current World Cup and other tournaments. “Actually, it is the only question everybody wants to ask, because you have 14 red cards given so far in the World Cup and one was given against England, so let us see if those red cards will also be lifted.

Trump's intervention has not been the only one during the current tournament. During a dogged 3-2 triumph by England over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday, English defender Jarell Quansah was red carded for a clumsy tackle on a Mexican player. This prompted Englishman Noah Law, a Labour Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, to dispatch a letter to Infantino calling for Quansah’s card to be reversed. In his letter, Law stated, “While I believe that it was right for Quansah to have received this red card, and that refereeing rules must be applied consistently, I believe it would be right to delay his suspension until after the completion of this World Cup."