'This is our sport, not theirs': Klopp attacks Fifa chief over Balogun red card reversal
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has led a chorus of condemnations against Fifa President Gianni Infantino, after US striker Folarin Balogun’s red card suspension was controversially delayed following intervention from Donald Trump.
Trump confirmed on Monday that he had called Infantino directly to ask him to “review” a red card handed to US star player Balogun, during a match against Bosnia last week.
On Sunday, Fifa stunned the sports world by reversing that red card and giving Balogun a one-year probationary period instead, using its rarely invoked Article 27 from the Fifa disciplinary code.
Balogun played against Belgium on Monday, but proved ineffective in a comfortable 4-1 win for the Belgians.
Following the development, the former Liverpool manager launched a rare public criticism of Infantino over the debacle.
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“This is our sport, not theirs,” Klopp said. “If Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino really sorted this out between themselves, it is madness. It calls everything into question.”
During a press conference hours before the game, Trump said there was no foul by Balogun during the Bosnia game.
"I'm a person that loves sports and was a good athlete, and I understand sports really well - really well - and that wasn't a foul. That wasn't even an infraction, that was two guys running full speed that happened to crash into each other," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"So, yes, I asked for a review by Fifa. I spoke to a man who's highly respected, and by the way, whose level of respect has gone up tenfold," the president said of Infantino.
Trump took a swipe at the referee who issued the red card, calling him "a little bit suspect, if you check his past".
"I don't want to say that, because I don't like to create controversy, but very suspect. If you'd like, I'll provide you with the past," he said.
Pierluigi Collina, Fifa’s referees’ chief, came to the defence of Raphael Claus, the referee who gave Balogun the red card, following Trump’s comments.
Collina said Claus was “experienced and highly respected”, and maintained his full confidence as a “trusted match official”.
The South American Football Confederation also published a statement defending Claus.
'Infantino must go'
Politico had reported earlier that Andrew Giuliani, the White House Fifa World Cup Task Force executive director, alongside Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, and other senior US Soccer Federation officials, spent four days lobbying and organising to appeal the red card decision.
Infantino has insisted that the decision to delay Balogun’s suspension was made independently, and was not due to the conversation with Trump.
'Infantino should resign immediately and Fifa should hold an immediate inquiry'
- Gerry Sutcliffe, former British sports minister
“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving Fifa’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” Infantino said.
“That is how Fifa’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”
A number of British politicians have called on Infantino to resign, as reported by The Telegraph.
“The first thing they’ve got to do is explain their decision and if it literally was just a phone call from Trump then I’m sorry, but I think he has to resign or Fifa has to sack him if he won’t,” said Clive Betts, an MP for the ruling Labour Party, and the chair of the all party parliamentary group for football.
“Infantino must go,” said Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats. “No matter where it’s held, the World Cup belongs to the fans - not gangsters like Trump.”
Gerry Sutcliffe, the former British sports minister, said: “This clearly is an appalling situation where politicians and sport executives have ruined the integrity of the game. Infantino should resign immediately and Fifa should hold an immediate inquiry. President Trump admits contacting Infantino.”
Sepp Blatter, Fifa’s former president who has been embroiled in his own corruption scandal and has not been allowed to partake in Fifa activities since 2015, also waded in.
“Red cards are not overturned by political phone calls. They are overturned by rules, evidence and independent bodies. If a US President intervenes with the FIFA President - and a player is suddenly cleared before a World Cup knockout match - the question is unavoidable: Quo vadis [where are you going], FIFA?” Blatter wrote on X.
European football federation Uefa said the reversal “crossed a red line”.
“Football, like any other sports, relies on rules, which are the basis for fair, honest and transparent competition. Sometimes rules are open to interpretation. In this case not,” the European football body said in a statement.
“A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted.”
The Belgian Football Association said that before the game it had contested Balogun’s eligibility to play, and that should he feature it would leave “all further actions open”.
Fifa dismissed an appeal from Belgium, stating that it was “rendered inadmissible” on the grounds that they were not an interested party to the proceedings.
After the game, Belgium midfielder Nicolas Raskin said the team felt a “sense of injustice”.
“A lot has happened off the pitch over the last two days,” said Raskin.
“There was a sense of injustice within the squad, and we were determined to respond on the field.”
After Romelu Lukaku scored Belgium’s fourth goal, the Belgian players celebrated by doing the “Trump dance”, which the president popularised during his 2024 presidential campaign.
The Belgium national team also posted on Instagram a picture of Lukaku cupping his ear with the caption “overturn this”.
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