Belgian Press on Overturned Red Card: 100% Corruption, FIFA is Killing Football

Despite being sent off in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Folarin Balogun will be eligible to play for the USA in the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium, thanks to a surprising reversal of his suspension by FIFA. The football world and the Belgian press are outraged by this "scandalous" decision and the potential interference from Donald Trump.

This Sunday, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee announced, to widespread surprise, a change in Balogun's sanction. The automatic one-match suspension was altered to a "conditional one-match sanction with a probationary period of one year." The issue is that, according to FIFA's disciplinary code, a red card leads to an "automatic suspension for the next match."

The situation quickly escalated into a scandal when the American press revealed that US President Donald Trump, who has long boasted of his friendship with FIFA head Gianni Infantino, had called him to request a review of the striker's penalty.

While the head of state thanked the global governing body for "correcting a great injustice," the football world does not share his vision of fairness. And what about the Belgian press, which is appalled by a decision reeking of political interference? "Initially, I thought it was a colleague's joke. But no," grumbled Vincent Langendries in an RTBF article titled: "With 'Balogun Gate,' FIFA is killing football." "As Rudi Garcia said on the eve of a World Cup Round of 16 match, it was April Fool's Day in FIFA's offices. An April Fool's joke? No, a July whale... The bigger the fish, the easier it passes."

The commentary continued: "The collusion (if not more) between the head of this global organization (which has just lost all credibility in the eyes of true football lovers) and the occupant of the White House... has reached the height of absurdity, even shame."

The same discontent was voiced by colleagues at "Le Soir." "This institution, too little respected, has just sold off its impartiality," they lamented. And "DH Les Sports" added: "We expected the first intervention of the US President in 'his' World Cup, and it came on Sunday, July 5th, the day after the national holiday."

For Pieter-Jan Kalkun, editor-in-chief of "Het Nieuwsblad," "this is 100% corruption. This is client-tailored politics. They are trying to have the best players on the field." In its pages, the newspaper continued: "Infantino is not a sports administrator. He is not building the future of football. He is building an empire." "This is, above all, absolutely scandalous, I simply have no words," fumed Manuel Jous on RTBF's "Complètement Foot" show. "Honestly, I fell on my backside, not to use another word, because there are very clear rules."

But FIFA's controversial decision, whether dictated by presidential order or not, might just motivate the "Red Devils," who have been lacking confidence in the tournament. "Donald Trump thinks he has provided the most beautiful assist of the World Cup, but in reality, he has just scored an own goal," assured "DH Les Sports." "For the first time in its history, Belgium will have 7.9 billion supporters." And Vincent Langendries chanted on RTBF: "Seattle is ours. Seattle will be the land of truth from the pitch, of the real. Seattle will be the land of 'Make Belgium Great Again!'"