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A letter circulating in the European Parliament is calling for an investigation to determine whether pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump influenced FIFA's decision to overturn the suspension of United States striker Folarin Balogun. The striker played in the United States' 4-1 World Cup round of 16 defeat by Belgium.
According to Euronews, a group of MEPs launched an initiative on Tuesday demanding an investigation into the role of FIFA president Gianni Infantino to verify whether the decision was influenced by political interference.
The letter, obtained by Euronews , is addressed to the 27 football federations of the European Union member states. It asks them to formally approach FIFA to request an investigation into the decision-making process that led to the lifting of Balogun's suspension.
" We think it is time for the European football federations, all members of FIFA, to intervene and ask FIFA to investigate the decision-making process in the Balogun case ."
MEP Barry Andrews, one of the initiators of the letter, told Euronews:
" Once again we saw that Infantino and FIFA bowed to the demands of the Trump administration. This decision is a disgrace and a perversion of justice ."
Balogun was sent off in the USA's match against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week. Under FIFA rules, a red card automatically carries a one-match suspension, which would have ruled him out of the crucial match against Belgium.
Donald Trump later admitted that he had a phone call with Gianni Infantino regarding Balogun's red card, which he called unfair, but stressed that he had not asked for favors. However, FIFA suspended the punishment using a legal mechanism that, according to Euronews , has not been used before at a World Cup since the introduction of red cards.
After the decision, Trump publicly thanked Infantino for, as he put it, "correcting a great injustice." For his part, Infantino stated that during the call he had made it clear to the US president that FIFA's disciplinary body acts independently.
The decision caused strong reactions in Europe.
UEFA described it as "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable", while the Belgian Football Federation has lodged an official complaint questioning Balogun's eligibility to play in that match.
Even the European Commissioner for Sport, Glenn Micallef, called the lifting of the suspension a "wrong decision".
William Gaillard, former Director of Communications and Public Affairs at UEFA, told Euronews' Europe Today:
" This is completely against the rules and statutes of FIFA. It is a real scandal ."
The initiative in the European Parliament has been launched by MEPs Barry Andrews (Renew Europe), Lara Wolters and Niels Fuglsang (Socialists and Democrats). The letter is currently circulating among lawmakers to collect signatures before the deadline on Wednesday at 18:00 CET.
The signatories demand that European federations ensure that senior FIFA officials are held accountable if they are proven to have violated rules on political neutrality.
They also recall another letter, signed by 50 MEPs and sent earlier to FIFA, demanding an investigation into the decision to award President Trump the FIFA Peace Prize.
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