Source : ABC NEWS
Dozens of European politicians are moving to launch an investigation in the European Parliament into FIFA boss Gianni Infantino over his role in allowing US striker Folarin Balogun to play in the World Cup despite an earlier red card.
Balogun was sent off during the US victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina on July 1, which normally would make him ineligible to play in the team’s next game, but FIFA lifted his suspension for the match against Belgium after US President Donald Trump intervened with Infantino on behalf of the 25-year-old striker.
European Parliament politicians Barry Andrews, Lara Wolters and Niels Fuglsang said in a joint statement that FIFA’s 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.
The politicians are asking the national football associations of the EU countries to spur the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino and whether pressure from the Trump administration was a factor in lifting the suspension, as well as “other potential breaches of political neutrality”, like awarding Trump the FIFA Peace Prize.
FIFA has said the lifting of the suspension was a decision of a disciplinary committee
The politicians said that 35 colleagues have signed the letter so far.
“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.
AP
