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07/06 12:17 CDT Trump says World Cup referee's red card call was 'horrible' but
insists he left outcome to FIFA
Trump says World Cup referee's red card call was 'horrible' but insists he left
outcome to FIFA
By COLLIN BINKLEY and SEUNG MIN KIM
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) --- President Donald Trump on Monday took credit for getting
FIFA to review a red card issued against the United States' star forward
Folarin Balogun at the World Cup but said he did not demand an outcome.
"All I did was ask for a review," Trump said when asked about it during an
unrelated Oval Office event. "I didn't say, ?You have to do this.'"
Trump confirmed that he called FIFA President Gianni Infantino and asked for a
second look at the punishment against Balogun in the United States' 2-0 win
against Bosnia-Herzegovina last week in Santa Clara, California, near San
Francisco. But he said FIFA made the final call to lift Balogun's mandatory
one-game ban for a foul tackle, allowing him to play in Monday's round of 16
match with Belgium in Seattle.
FIFA's decision to suspend the one-game ban was celebrated by many in the
United States but brought condemnation in the international sports world, where
some called it an outrageous intrusion. The Belgian soccer federation is
challenging Balogun's eligibility for Monday's match, and the UEFA soccer body
in Europe called FIFA's move "incomprehensible and unjustifiable."
Trump criticizes the referee's red card call In remarks on Monday, Trump called the referee's decision a "horrible" call. He added that it would have been a stain on the tournament if Balogun, the U.S.' leading scorer at this year's World Cup with three goals, was held out against Belgium and the U.S. lost. He praised FIFA for making what he described as a brilliant decision in suspending the punishment. "I didn't think it was a foul," Trump said. "I thought it was two great athletes that crashed into each other and got entangled." The Republican president, who said he understands sports "really well," acknowledged that he did not initially know what a red card is or the consequences it brings. When he learned it would lead to a one-game suspension for Balogun, he said, he decided to step in. He also took issue with the use of video review to issue the red card, arguing that slowed-down reviews can make plays look more aggressive. "Belgium has got a great team," Trump said. "We have to have our best players, and they have to have their best. And if we win or we lose, it's fair." FIFA president defends the decision process Soon after Trump addressed the controversy, Infantino issued a statement detailing his call with Trump and defending the independence of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. "During our conversation, 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," Infantino said in a statement on X. "That is how FIFA's system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold." Trump's Oval Office event focused on new investment accounts for U.S. children, and he immediately sought to deflect attention away from the World Cup controversy. "They don't want to know anything about soccer slash football," he said of reporters gathered in the Oval Office. "Fortunately, they won't be asking any questions on that. Nobody cares about that, right?" Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who joined Trump at the event, turned attention back to the red card. "On behalf of all Americans, thank you for getting rid of that ridiculous red card," Cruz said during his remarks. "It was spectacular." Pressed on the extent of his role, Trump said that he made his case to Infantino but that "I didn't tell him what to do, I can't tell him what to do." Separately on Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was the right decision to lift the punishment for Balogun. In rare comments during a photo op ahead of his meeting with Chile's foreign minister, Rubio questioned why Belgium would want to win a match "if everyone will argue you didn't really win it because their best, or their leading, scorer was not on the pitch." He joked that it was becoming an "international incident" ahead of a NATO summit in Turkey this week. How did Balogun get the red card? The foul against Balogun was called after he planted his cleated foot on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic during their round of 32 match. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus didn't initially signal a card, but a slow-motion review resulted in the red card. Balogun later said he thought a yellow card, a formal warning, would have been fair. FIFA's decision drew quick rebuke on Sunday from Belgium coach Rudi Garcia, who said it sounded like an April Fools' Day joke. Meanwhile U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino applauded FIFA's move, saying his team was punished enough by losing Balogun for the remainder of last week's game. As the drama played out on the pitch last week, it was immediately clear from the perspective of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House FIFA Task Force leader Andrew Giuliani and Trump administration officials that the process used to issue the red card to Balogun was improper. Discussions over the red card and what to do about it dominated the flight from Santa Clara back to Washington. The consensus of the group, according to a senior U.S. official with knowledge of the talks, was simply: that the slo-mo replay was improper, so shouldn't the red card be nullified? The next day, Trump officials continued to dig into the rules, consult lawyers and speak with U.S. Soccer about the matter, according to the official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. Trump was also briefed on updates as he prepared to speak with Infantino, whom the U.S. president has talked with multiple times a week since the World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, began June 11. ___ Kim reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press photographer Manny Ceneta contributed from Washington. |
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