'INFANTINO IS TELLING THE WORLD "WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANT" | Balogun row rumbles on | ESPN FC

Maybe Belgium, part of the 0 -0 .1.The Royal Belgian Football Association is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Florian Balogun eligible to play in the US -Belgium match on Monday.Article 66 .4 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides red card sending off automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during the FIFA World Cup.Donald Trump tweeted this about the decision.Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right and reversing a great injustice, President Donald J. Trump.Shaka.

First of all, let me say, I did not think it was a red card.I thought BallotGun was harshly adjudged.I did not think it was a red card.He was shown a red card.He was shown a red card.They called the referee over to the monitor.

The referee had a look, and they judged it to be a red card.I, like most in football, thought that that meant not only do you miss the rest of the game, but you also miss one more on top of it.There are appeals processes in place, which I thought applied to everybody across the board regardless.FIFA did nothing in terms of their own timelines or the usual timelines.And then all of a sudden, four days later, we have an overturning of that decision.Now, Mauricio Pochettino is talking about the ethics and integrity of the process.

I could not disagree more.Now, many have questioned the morality of FIFA for quite some time, long before this current administration, rightly or wrongly.But what everybody has been able to believe in, is the integrity of the sport, even if you do it wrong.with the morality of the organization, you've been able to believe in the integrity of the sport.I think that integrity has been shut, and I cannot see it being revived.How are we in a place in talking about ethics and integrity, knowing full well that one person Whether we're talking a politician or otherwise, but we now know that one politician can make a call or two and have a footballing decision reversed.

I don't see how this is good for the game on any single level.And again, I did not think it was a red card.But now we know, now we know, now for all those of us who coped with the lack of morality, but believed in the integrity, that is not there for us anymore.to hope for in any more, for us to hang our hat on in terms of our belief in this game any more.So I don't know where FIFA, I don't know where football goes with this going forward, but I'm sorry, I think this is damaging far beyond whether Balogun can play or not.Never mind what comes of the result and depending on what Belgium's response is, I can go on for another five minutes about what I think they should do there.

That's just a start.

Gianni Infantino and his organization are telling the world, we can do what we want, and you can do nothing about it, and we're not even going to try and hide it.What do we do?I agree with what Shaq's saying.I didn't think it was a red card, but it was a subjective call from the referee.You give a red, agree or disagree, that's the sport.You have to take that suspension.

Every red card has been a suspension at a World Cup.We've seen a player sent off in the Azteca tonight, Konza, playing right back for England.What did FIFA do?Is he now available for the Norway game?Because England will say, hey, you've set a precedent.And they'll say, well, no, no, that was definitely a red card.

Well, that's subjective.I mean, we think it was, but it's a subjective call.It's not a factual call.In England, it would be within their rights to say, had it been General Consul, or Harry Kane, or Jude Bellingham, or a superstar, or whoever it was, we want this player available for the quarterfinal against Norway, because you set a precedent with the hosts and the Balligan decision.That's the mess we're in.Do you mind?

You know, we hear it here on the table.It's clearly that we say, oh, it was not a red card, right?So that's the number one thing.So then the second was, for me, the referee went to look at it and he decided, red card.So then you have time, whoever will sit on the table, the committee, and they discussed about it, you have time to come out as FIFA.What they did, in this day, we stand to the red card.

So, and then it takes four more days, and then you come out and you say, we take it back, or you keep the red card, but we're moving on, and you'll be suspended.And then comes all the story out, and I think that is what, damage everything, everything that comes after that, what was said, who was called, who was talking to who.And I think that is not good for the football.But I think in general, of course, maybe it's a little bit American in me, that I say he's an important player for the country.It was not a red card.So, yeah, at the end, I have to agree.

Now you have to look from the opposite side, that all the teams who will maybe be in the same position at one point,We all know.

We all know.why this has been overturned.We all know where the pressures came from.However, FIFA and Gianni Infantino, as an organisation, have a duty to rebuke...Yes...

any advances to influence a sporting decision, and they have not.So they have left themselves with a shell of a... ..any decency here.They've left themselves absolutely open to everyone who says, this organisation is...I'm not going to say corrupt, but I'm going to say borderline just does what they want, right?

And the Club World Cup was proof.The Ronaldo suspended sentence was proof.The Messi no VR even check for a yellow card, never got a yellow card, never mind checked for a red card, was proof.The fact that this player plays for a host nation, and he's in everybody's, everybody's talking about it, is proof that decisions are influenced by the popularity of individuals and countries and beyond that.And that's not a good place to be.Because as I said, England are going to be well within their rights to ask what the decision is going to be on the right back it was sent off this evening.

For as long as I've played, for as long as I've been involved in this game, I have heard that football and politics do not mix.That's been FIFA's stance for as long as I can remember.I can point to any number of instances that just rebukes that, but they've stuck to that line, that football and politics do not mix.Gianni Infantino and FIFA going forward can never utter that sentence again, not after what we witnessed today.And which is why I say, There are so many levels to this that is damaging to the game beyond recognition, in my opinion.

This is nothing against the US or Balogun.I've loved watching them play.I loved to see this kid having a great World Cup.It was frustrating to see him being sent off.But you have to stand by the decisions, whether we like them or not.

And what does that mean for the referee tomorrow, by the way?How much are you second -guessing yourself even more?

What does it mean for your referee in every single game for the rest of this tournament?knowing full well that a couple of calls can be made and your authority completely revoked.I find this so ridiculous.And the thing is for me, as I look at this in a bigger context, the best result for FIFA is for Belgium to win the game.