“I knew it would cause a lot of controversy,” says USA striker Folarin Balogun about FIFA’s decision to suspend his World Cup suspension. Now he talks about the nerves it created in the squad.
Folarin Balogun, the United States striker, knew that FIFA’s decision to lift his one-match ban at the World Cup was going to cause “a lot of controversy”. He could also see the nerves spreading among his teammates.
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The 25-year-old was sent off for serious foul play against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 – and should actually have received an automatic suspension. Instead, FIFA’s disciplinary committee chose to suspend the quarantine for one year – a decision that created a violent reaction. Especially when it emerged that US President Donald Trump and White House staff had contacted FIFA’s management to influence the sanction against the American.
Balogun, who scored three goals in the World Cup, got to start as the United States lost 4-1 to Belgium in the last eight. UEFA called the decision “extraordinary, incomprehensible and indefensible”.
“I saw the nerves among my teammates
Balogun tells CBS that the reaction in the squad was mixed:
“My first reaction was joy to be back in the team. But when I started reflecting, I knew it would create a lot of controversy. I could almost see the nerves among my teammates – because this is so unique.
“The closer we got to the game, the more I tried to focus. But it was difficult. Outside noise is hard to avoid.
“My teammates are like brothers to me. They gave me a lot of security. There was nothing I could do or change.
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“Everyone was screaming and cheering on the team bus”
Balogun was told he could play while on the team bus. The news was met with “screaming and cheering” in the squad.
“It was confusing because the team had trained without me. I almost played a supporting role to keep morale up,” says the Monaco striker.
“When we found out on the bus, everyone started screaming and cheering. It was a pretty intense bus ride to the training ground.
“Separated the emotions from the job”
Despite the loss to Belgium, Balogun does not believe that the situation distracted the team.
“It was about separating the emotions from the job. We are all professionals. It wasn’t that hard to part after we had digested the news that I was back in the team.
“It was a difficult game against Belgium, and that can overshadow whether we were focused or not. But from inside the camp, I know that we were fully concentrated before the game.
Infantino denies influence – Quansah got two fights
The head of FIFA’s disciplinary committee did not want to answer the BBC’s questions about the decision-making process that led to Balogun escaping quarantine.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously denied that he has influence over disciplinary decisions.
England’s Jarell Quansah was shown a red card in the 3-2 win over Mexico after a high tackle on Jesús Gallardo. The same committee sentenced him to a two-match ban – one automatic and one extra. It was classified as serious foul play. Balogun got away with a one-year reprieve.
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