FIFA chief defends judicial independence after Trump call over Balogun ban

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Monday defended the independence of world football's judicial bodies following criticism over the decision to suspend US striker Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban, confirming he had discussed the matter with US President Donald Trump.

Trump contact

Infantino confirmed he spoke with Trump about the case. "Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and on this matter, I did receive a call from President Donald Trump, just as I receive calls from heads of state, government officials, football stakeholders and business executives from around the world on many different issues," he said.

He told the US leader the matter remained before FIFA's independent bodies and would be resolved in due course. Infantino noted that he reads disciplinary committee decisions upon issuance and sometimes disagrees with them, but always respects the rulings regardless of personal opinion.

Suspended sanction

Last week, Balogun received a straight red card for fouling Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic during the United States' 2-0 victory in the Round of 32. FIFA announced Sunday that the 25-year-old forward's automatic one-match suspension had been put on hold for a probationary period of one year, clearing him to face Belgium in Monday's Round of 16 clash in Seattle.

European backlash

Belgium's football federation said Sunday it was "astonished" by the ruling that made Balogun available for the match against the Belgian national team. UEFA, European football's governing body, issued a strongly worded statement saying the suspension of the automatic ban "crossed a red line," arguing that the one-match suspension following a red card "is not a discretionary option" and warning the decision undermines the integrity of the tournament.