BELGIUM SAYS FIFA REJECTED FOLARIN BALOGUN QUERY AFTER TREATING IT AS APPEAL
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced that FIFA has dismissed their request for the decision that established USA striker Folarin Balogun as eligible to play in their World Cup match, claiming it was regarded as an unallowable appeal.
FIFA had previously suspended Balogun’s red-card ban, allowing him to participate in the round-of-16 match, following a personal appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump to FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the situation.
The RBFA expressed frustration, noting they were given “only a few hours” to respond to FIFA while lacking necessary information from the organization. According to the RBFA statement, FIFA’s regulations stipulate that for an appeal to be valid, the detailed decision must be communicated to the appellant beforehand.
“While the RBFA was merely seeking legitimate explanations, FIFA itself created an appeal and immediately ensured that it would be declared inadmissible,” the association declared, emphasizing their dismay at FIFA’s refusal to acknowledge their reasonable inquiries.
Furthermore, the RBFA challenged Balogun’s eligibility after FIFA omitted the section concerning automatic player suspension from a pre-match coordination meeting without providing any explanation, despite numerous requests for clarity.
In response to the situation, Reuters reached out to FIFA for comment.
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