Italian Football Chief on Balogun Case: “Dangerous Precedent, Hope They Realize It”

Italian Football Federation President Giovanni Malago has weighed in on the Folarin Balogun case, whose World Cup suspension was overturned. The US international received a red card in his team's previous match but will not face a ban for the upcoming Round of 16 clash against Belgium (3:00 AM CET tomorrow night).

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“It’s a strange story, it seemed absurd to me. I looked into this Article 27 that everyone is talking about, and thankfully, it can’t be applied in national championships, otherwise, it would be Armageddon. There’s no point in deluding ourselves; this is a decision with obvious political undertones,” Malago told “Rai Radio 1.”

“This is an extremely dangerous precedent, and I hope they realize it,” he added. “I am a supporter of this World Cup, with full stadiums and great enthusiasm, but when you see a decision like this, it undermines the meritocracy that is at the heart of football.”