Former FIFA boss rants:
A World Cup call from Trump? “That must never happen!”
“That must never happen!” Now former FIFA boss Joseph Blatter has also spoken out about U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged interference in the red card suspension of American forward Folarin Balogun. The former FIFA president sharply criticized the world governing body.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen “Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are reviewed based on rules, evidence, and by independent bodies. If a U.S. president intervenes with the FIFA president—and a player is suddenly cleared ahead of a World Cup knockout match—the question inevitably arises: Quo vadis, FIFA?” Blatter wrote on X.
“Soccer must never become a pawn in political power struggles,” the longtime FIFA president explained ahead of the World Cup round of 16 match between the U.S. and Belgium (Tuesday, 2 a.m. CEST/live on the sportkrone.at live ticker).
FIFA, the world soccer governing body, had lifted the red card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun. The 25-year-old had been shown a red card in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina after he accidentally landed on the ankle of his opponent, Tarik Muharemovic.
Is the host country being given preferential treatment?
According to consistent media reports, Trump is said to have called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and pressured him to review the suspension.
The surprising decision had drawn widespread international criticism and raised numerous questions. The Americans’ chances of advancing to the quarterfinals increase with the possibility of being able to field the team’s best striker after all.
Schmidt Calls for Clarification
Austria’s State Secretary for Sports, Michaela Schmidt, is also calling for clarification. “The fact that the U.S. president is seriously attempting to interfere in the course of a World Cup match is absurd in and of itself. But the fact that he’s actually succeeding is an unbelievable breach of taboo. Rules must apply to everyone, and the game must be decided on the field, not in the Oval Office,” she wrote in a press release.
“If this continues, the World Cup will turn into a scripted reality show where it’s already clear before the game even starts who will score how many goals.” It’s time for European soccer to take a stand and ensure that FIFA is led with integrity.
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