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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Matt Hughes

Uefa accuses Fifa of ‘crossing a red line’ over lifting of Folarin Balogun’s red card ban

Folarin Balogun during a USA training session in Washington on Sunday
Folarin Balogun takes part in a USA training session in Washington on Sunday, the same day it was announced the striker’s suspension had been lifted. Photograph: John Dorton/USSF/Getty

Fifa’s willingness to bow to the wishes of Donald Trump by lifting the suspension of the USA striker Folarin Balogun for the host side’s World Cup last-16 game against Belgium was criticised strongly on Monday, with European politicians, football associations and the governing body Uefa condemning the decision.

In an unprecedented intervention in the middle of a tournament, Uefa accused Fifa of crossing “a red line” by making an “incomprehensible and unjustifiable” decision to rescind Balogun’s automatic one-match ban, which it claimed undermined “the integrity of the game and the credibility of the competition”.

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