FIFA has confirmed that the decision to overturn Folarin Balogun's suspension was made by an independent commission, despite an intervention by Donald Trump.
According to information provided, the decision was announced on Thursday, shortly after the conclusion of the round of 16 match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina. On this occasion, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, contacted the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, to ask for explanations regarding Balogun's disqualification. Although the FIFA president listened carefully to Trump's questions, he gave no guarantees regarding the outcome of the matter.
FIFA chose not to comment publicly on the content of the phone call between Trump and Infantino, but stressed that the decision to suspend the ban was made by an 18-member disciplinary committee. Interestingly, unlike other similar situations, the organization did not publish a detailed report on the results of this meeting.
Folarin Balogun was sent off during the round of 16 match against Bosnia, but surprisingly FIFA decided to replace the automatic ban with a one-year conditional measure. Thanks to this decision, Balogun, who is currently the best scorer of the US team in the tournament, will have the opportunity to take the field in the match against Belgium, valid for the quarterfinals. This match is scheduled for July 7, with kick-off set for 3:00 Moscow time.
The overturning of Balogun's suspension is seen as a significant intervention, as the player plays a crucial role for the US national team in this competition. His presence could prove decisive for the continuation of the United States' path in the world tournament, where expectations are high and the pressure is maximum. FIFA, therefore, wanted to clarify that the decision was not influenced by external factors, but was a choice made autonomously and impartially.
Orgryte sporting director Pontus Farnerud has confirmed negotiations for Michael Parker, a midfielder linked to Celtic and other teams. The situation is becoming interesting on the market.
Tottenham are preparing to make an £85 million bid for Bournemouth youngster Kroupi, while Salah could return to Spain at Atletico Madrid. Arsenal and Liverpool are active in the transfer market with different objectives.
The Friulian club has completed two transfer operations to strengthen the midfield available to Kosta Runjaic. The new arrivals are Giorgi Chakvetadze and Unai Gomez.