GENEVA (AP) — The role of U.S. President Donald Trump Removal of Folarin Balogun Lifting the mandatory one-match World Cup ban would likely trigger a formal complaint to FIFA ethics inspectors.
The Norwegian Football Federation announced on Thursday that its board will consider filing a complaint at its next board meeting, likely on August 6.
“We need the FIFA leadership to say this was a mistake,” Norwegian federation president Lise Klavenes said in an interview with London daily The Times published Thursday.
President Trump called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and suspended Balogun for one game. Red card tackle against Bosnia and Herzegovina This is because the match against Belgium, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake, has been postponed.
Belgium beat USA 4-1 After 36 hours of chaos at the World Cup. Belgian players seemed excited by one of the most unprecedented controversies in the tournament’s history.
President Trump said the referee’s red card for Balogun after reviewing the video was a “terrible” decision, and credited FIFA with having it review what should have been a one-match suspension.
“Everyone knows that this decision was influenced by outsiders and there was no due process,” Klavenes told the Times, referring to FIFA’s ruling, which is unprecedented in the last 60 years of the World Cup.
“When you bend the rules like this, you’re on a slippery slope that puts the whole game at risk,” said the former Norwegian Women’s World Cup player and elected member of European football’s governing body. UEFA Executive Committee.
soccer conscience
Craveness is a lawyer and judge. Position of the Norwegian Federation as Conscience in world football Since the 2022 election.
“Violating the fundamental rules of the game is worrying for the game,” she said Thursday of not enforcing Balogun’s suspension.
Norway previously joined the London-based NGO Complaints to FIFA Ethics Committee It alleges that Infantino breached his statutory duty of political neutrality. Peace Prize awarded to Trump At the World Cup draw in December.
close personal and political relationships; Relationship between Trump and Infantino That includes the US president’s belief that the soccer official could be suitable to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations. The New York Post reported this week.
Complaints about the Olympics
Human rights NGO Fair Square also filed an ethics complaint Regarding the Balogun incident, the International Olympic Committee, of which Infantino is an elected member, has complained of a violation of its rules on political neutrality.
FIFA and the IOC rarely approve or provide updates on potential cases before the ethics body.
Independence of FIFA’s process for handling complaints alleging unethical conduct asked a question Since the lead investigator and the judge Both were replaced in 2017Infantino is in his second year as president.
FIFA has not yet released a document explaining how the disciplinary judge reached his verdict regarding Balogun and other World Cup players.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage
