The UEFA issued an unusually harsh statement against FIFA, following the decision to suspend for a one-year probationary period the implementation of the automatic one-match ban imposed after a red card shown to US player Folarin Balogun.
In its official statement, UEFA attacked the move and said it amounted to a direct blow to the fundamental principles of the game. "Football, like every other sport, is based on rules that form the foundation for fair, honest and transparent competition," UEFA said. "There is sometimes room for interpretation, but not in this case. A minimum automatic one-match suspension following a red card is not a matter of discretion and does not require a decision by an authorized body in order to take effect."
UEFA added that such a change during a tournament seriously damages the credibility of the game. "When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined," the organization said.
The statement further said that football is the world's most beloved sport because of the uniformity of its rules. "The game is loved because it is played everywhere under the same rules," UEFA said. "A tournament does not exist in isolation from the system as a whole, and especially when it comes to the World Cup, this has implications for the entire game."
UEFA concluded its statement with a scathing attack: "We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," it said.
Background to the turmoil
The controversy stems from an unusual case in which Balogun, a striker for the US national team, was sent off with a red card in a match against Bosnia and was expected to serve an automatic one-match suspension in the World Cup round of 16 against Belgium. In an extraordinary move, however, it was decided to suspend the implementation of the automatic ban for one year, meaning that Balogun will, in practice, be able to play in the next stage despite having been sent off.
The decision sparked a major uproar in world football because, under standard procedures, a red card is supposed to lead to an immediate and automatic suspension, without the discretion of any additional authority. Critics therefore argued that this was an exceptional change during an active tournament, prompting harsh criticism from UEFA.
According to reports that added fuel to the controversy, it was even claimed that the US president intervened in the matter and spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a request to cancel or alter the punishment. After the decision was made to change how the suspension would be implemented, the US president welcomed the move.
