FIFA have finally set out why Folarin Balogun was allowed to face Belgium. The explanation is now public. Whether it sits comfortably with football supporters is a different discussion.
Yesterday, we questioned FIFA’s handling of the Balogun decision because an automatic suspension had vanished before a World Cup knockout tie without any public explanation.
The controversy has hit the headlines so hard that even US President Donald Trump has spoken out and admitted his role in the row.
The explanation from FIFA has now arrived. It clears up their legal position but it does not end the argument.
Celtic supporters have debated football’s authorities for years. Is FIFA any different? Have your say below.
FIFA’s Balogun explanation gives Celtic a fresh talking point
FIFA says the disciplinary committee never cancelled Balogun’s red card or the automatic one-match suspension that followed it. Instead, it relied on Article 27 of their Disciplinary Code to suspend the implementation of that ban for a year.
This confirms the committee can step in after a red card and decide the automatic suspension does not have to be served immediately. FIFA says the rules allow it. Nobody can argue with that after reading the statement.
The argument starts when that discretion is used in a World Cup last-16 match following a dismissal for serious foul play. FIFA believed this was the right case. Plenty of others will not be so sure.
Celtic fans have every right to read FIFA’s reasoning closely
FIFA also says this is not the first time Article 27 has been used and points to similar decisions during World Cup qualifying. But they failed to present them to back up their position.
The Belgian FA has already said it will continue challenging the process despite reaching the quarter-finals.
Trump’s intervention turned this into a global story before a ball was kicked in Seattle. That made FIFA’s explanation unavoidable.
The red card stands. The suspension stands. What changed was when that suspension had to be served. FIFA says the disciplinary code gave it that discretion. Football will decide whether it likes the answer.
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