UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin reportedly boycotted the World Cup final in protest. (Image: Getty)
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has reportedly boycotted the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in “protest” to FIFA. It is alleged that a rift has developed in the relationship between the two governing bodies. Ceferin, who is also one of FIFA’s vice presidents, was absent from the much-anticipated finale.
Donald Trump and other celebrities attended the game, but Ceferin was nowhere to be seen. The Times reported that the Slovenian’s absence was a result of the Folarin Balogun controversy, with FIFA opting to suspend the red card sanction against the U.S. forward who was sent off following reports of President Trump’s interference, allowing him to play against Belgium.
In response to FIFA’s ruling, UEFA issued a scathing statement: “Yesterday’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match suspension following the red card given to Folarin Balogun for a one-year trial period crossed a red line that should not be crossed.”
“Soccer, like any sport, relies on rules that are the basis of fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation, but that is not the case here. An automatic suspension of at least one match after receiving a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require a competent authority’s decision to be enacted.”
“This is a principle built into the regulations and no exceptions can be made, let alone in the middle of a tournament when several other players have found themselves in similar situations and have been regularly suspended.
“When the certainty of the rules is no longer guaranteed by the guardians of the rules, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of the competition is undermined. Similarly, such a decision would create a precedent in ongoing tournaments, requiring equal treatment should similar situations arise, to the detriment of the competition.”
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“Soccer is a beautiful sport, trusted because it is played under the same laws everywhere, and is the most loved sport in the world.
“A tournament is never purely independent, and if the tournament in question is the World Cup, it has the power to influence the game as a whole, positively or negatively. We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjust decision.”
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin was absent from the World Cup final. (Image: Getty)
This is not the only important ruling that FIFA has made in recent months to anger the UEFA chief. These include proposals to expand the World Cup to 64 teams, half-time entertainment shows, and higher prices for tickets to the tournament.
Further controversy arose over Somali referee Omar Altan, who was denied entry to the United States before kickoff of the tournament. Following this ruling, UEFA appointed him as the official referee for this summer’s Super Cup match between PSG and Aston Villa.
Rumors have also been circulating throughout the summer that UEFA could field a rival to challenge Gianni Infantino in the next FIFA presidential election, with the Italian previously expected to run unopposed.
The current FIFA president has made it clear he intends to seek a third term, but support for an alternative candidate is growing within UEFA.
