October 2 – Javier Tebas has never been shy about speaking his mind, and on the Folarin Balogun matter, he has gone as far as you can go.
Speaking at a FIFPro event in London, the LaLiga president described the overturned red card as “the most serious incident in the history of football”.
Balogun was sent off for a foul on Tarik Muharemović in the USMNT’s Round of 16 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. A day before the round of 16 against Belgium, FIFA overturned the ban and gave him a penalty. Donald Trump then said he had called Gianni Infantino to ask for a review. Infantino denied that Trump had any influence. Balogun played and USA went out to Belgium.
“We have FIFA, which has overturned a red card because the president of a country called the president of FIFA,” Tebas said. “I think in order for this to be resolved, the issue of governance needs to be addressed clearly.”
Tebas have had Infantino in their sights for some time, most recently over the collapse of a plan to sell a stake in FIFA competitions.
“Gianni Infantino is not someone who contributes to the growth of football,” he told Le Monde. “On the contrary, his projects are destroying the very essence of sport: the national leagues. Football is not limited to the elite. For me, the Infantino era is over.” Contact the writer of this story at (email protected)
