АНУ-ын шигшээ багийн довтлогч Фоларин Балогуны торгуулийг цуцалсан нь ФИФА-гийн төвийг сахих зарчимд эргэлзээ төрүүлж, Европын парламентын гишүүдийн шүүмжлэлтэй тулгарлаа.
Босни ба Херцеговины эсрэг тоглолтод улаан хуудас авсан Фоларин Балогуны нэг тоглолтын торгуулийг ФИФА-гийн сахилгын хороо гэнэт цуцалснаар тэрээр Бельгийн эсрэг тоглолтод оролцож, улмаар АНУ-ын баг 4:1-ээр хожигдсон юм. Дональд Трамп энэ шийдвэрийг гаргахаас өмнө Джанни Инфантинотой утсаар ярьж, уг улаан хуудсыг шударга бус хэмээн гомдол гаргасан нь олон улсын хэмжээнд ихээхэн шүүмжлэл дагуулав. Инфантино өөрийн байр суурийг хамгаалахдаа ФИФА-гийн шүүхийн байгууллагууд бие даасан зарчмаар ажилладаг болохыг мэдэгдсэн юм.
Европын парламентын 72 гишүүн Европын хөлбөмбөгийн холбоодод хандан, энэхүү шийдвэр гаргах үйл явцыг шалгахыг шаардсан албан бичиг илгээлээ. Түүнчлэн, “FairSquare” байгууллага Инфантино улс төрийн төвийг сахих дүрмийг удаа дараа зөрчсөн гэх үндэслэлээр Олон улсын олимпын хороонд гомдол гаргахаа мэдэгдэв.
УЕФА-гийн зүгээс уг шийдвэрийг “ойлгомжгүй” бөгөөд улаан шугамыг давсан үйлдэл хэмээн буруушаасан байна. Уэльсийн шигшээ багийн асан Лаура МакАллистер улс төрийн удирдагчид шүүгчийн шийдвэрт нөлөөлөх нь хөлбөмбөгийн ертөнцөд аюултай жишиг тогтоож буйг онцоллоо.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
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Pressure continues to mount on Gianni Infantino following the decision to suspend USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban at the World Cup, with more than 70 European lawmakers calling for an investigation into FIFA and its president regarding the principle of political neutrality.
Balogun was sent off in the U.S’. round-of-32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina and was set to be banned for the round-of-16 game against Belgium, though FIFA’s independent disciplinary committee suspended the ban and the 25-year-old subsequently started in the 4-1 defeat.
Before the match, Belgium appealed the decision but it was dismissed by FIFA, global soccer’s governing body.
U.S. president Donald Trump confirmed that he called Infantino, with the two having shared a close relationship, asking for the ban to be reviewed, describing the red card as a “great injustice”.
Infantino subsequently defended his role in the decision, saying that “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent. They operate autonomously, apply the FIFA Disciplinary Code, and decide cases based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts before them.”
“During our conversation (with President Trump, 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. That is how FIFA’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold,” he added.
On Wednesday, 72 MEPs (members of the European Parliament, one of the legislative bodies of the European Union) wrote to the 27 heads of EU football associations, calling for an investigation into the decision-making process in the Balogun case.
This follows 50 MEPs writing to FIFA on June 29, demanding that it addresses an ethics complaint regarding Infantino awarding the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to President Trump in December 2025 and alleging “repeated breaches” of FIFA’s duty of political neutrality by Infantino.
“In light of the decision taken on Sunday to suspend the implementation of an automatic one-match suspension, we feel that it is time for European Football Associations, all of whom are member associations of FIFA, to intervene and ask that FIFA investigate the aforementioned decision-making processes” the letter stated.
Infantino’s relationship with Trump is again in the spotlight. (Mandel Ngan / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
“FIFA’s statutory rules and code of ethics provide a very clear basis for member associations to intervene and demand an investigation. The requirement of political neutrality is clearly outlined in both the FIFA Statutes and the Code of Ethics. Article 4(2) of the FIFA Statutes outlines the principle whereby ‘FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion’, and Article 15 of the FIFA Code of Ethics states that all football officials must remain politically neutral, and provides for strong sanctions for violations.
“Member associations have an important role to play in ensuring that rules are upheld and that those who break them are held accountable. In that regard, we urge you to add your voice to recent calls in support of an investigation into Gianni Infantino’s links to President Trump from MEPs and from the Norwegian Football Federation. Any investigation must now include scrutiny of the decision-making process surrounding FIFA’s decision to rescind the ban imposed on a member of the US men’s national team.”
The Athletic has contacted FIFA for comment.
FairSquare, a non-profit organization that focuses on sport as well as human rights issues and political repression, also said on Wednesday that it will “file a complaint to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s repeated breach of political neutrality rules”.
Former Wales captain and UEFA vice-president Laura McAllister said that the Balogun case could create an “absolute cesspit”.
“Any political leader could potentially pick up the phone and say there’s a precedent for changing a punishment awarded to a player and I think it’s extremely dangerous,” she told BBC Radio Wales.
“To even create an environment where you can undermine the awarding of punishments on the pitch for right or wrong is very dangerous”.
On Monday, UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, released a statement criticizing the suspension of the ban, saying it was “incomprehensible” and “crossed a red line”.
