Two new bans have emerged from the World Cup while Wayne Rooney has had his say
Wayne Rooney has spoken about the Folarin Balogun saga (Image: BBC)
Two football officials representing the United States men’s national team were banned following Monday’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Belgium. However, the news was largely eclipsed by the controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun.
The USA were eliminated from the World Cup on Monday after a devastating loss to Belgium, with Balogun controversially allowed to feature on the pitch. Belgium swept to victory with ease, and aimed a jibe at Donald Trump that continued into the dressing room, as fresh post-match footage showed. The devastating defeat was also watched by a record television audience, after FOX Sports confirmed it was the most-watched football broadcast in US history.
Amongst the 30 million viewers tuning in were two US football officials, who had been suspended following the round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. FIFA publishes suspensions and bans on its website, though it tends to be player bans that routinely make headlines or generate debate.
In the latest round of sanctions involving the USA and Belgium, team manager Sam Zapatka and US Soccer vice president of security Frank Pannell were both handed suspensions. The FIFA website confirmed that both individuals had been banned, but provided no explanation as to what triggered the sanctions.
There is speculation that it could be connected to Balogun’s red card and his contentious reinstatement, though nothing has been officially confirmed. The controversy dominated the headlines in the build-up to the round of 16 clash, with FIFA coming under fierce scrutiny. Balogun was shown a straight red card against Bosnia, which would have seen him ruled out of the last-16 fixture against Belgium.
Folarin Balogun was allowed to play against Belgium (Image: Sarah Stier – FIFA, FIFA via Getty Images)
However, FIFA chose to defer his one-match ban until after the World Cup, rendering him eligible for selection. The decision left supporters across the globe bewildered, despite the majority initially taking issue with Balogun’s dismissal in the first place.
The situation intensified when Trump praised FIFA’s ruling from the Oval Office on Monday and confirmed he had been in direct contact with Gianni Infantino. Belgium hit back by issuing a warning, cautioning the USA against naming him in their starting line-up.
Wayne Rooney also tore into FIFA’s decision to postpone Balogun’s ban by one year, labelling it “an absolute disgrace,” and insisting that Infantino ought to be ashamed of himself. He said: “I know it’s UEFA but I got a three-game ban before Euro 2012.
“I was due to miss the three group games and I got told if I went over to Switzerland and did a training session with a bunch of kids, my third game would get taken off. I agreed to do it because I didn’t want a three-game ban but I thought that was wrong.
“For this to be suspended, they either take the red card away which is probably the right decision and then he can play. But to suspend it for a year? I think it’s an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this.
“The sportsmanship of this game is in question here. If I’m USA’s opponent, I’d be absolutely fuming. It’s wrong in every way. If you’re an England player tonight or a Mexican player, and you get a red card, do you expect to be playing the next game? Where does it stop?”
Balogun started the match but failed to leave his mark, registering the fewest touches of any player during the opening 45 minutes. USA manager Mauricio Pochettino was pleased to have Balogun at his disposal, yet the host nation still crashed out of the World Cup.
Despite cruising to victory, Belgium couldn’t resist twisting the knife on social media. Posting a photo carousel of Romelu Lukaku netting his side’s fourth goal, the Red Devils cheekily captioned it, “Overturn this.”
Nevertheless, Belgium bore no grudge towards Balogun personally, as became evident once the final whistle had blown. With their quarter-final place secured, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia disclosed that he had spoken with Balogun, making clear that the animosity was never aimed at the player himself.
Garcia revealed that Balogun approached him after the match. He said: “He [Balogun] came to talk to me. I really liked that. It’s not his fault, he’s not the one to blame, I told him that. I appreciate the intention of him speaking to me.”