July 23 – The Norwegian FA (NFF) are considering a formal ethics complaint over the suspension of Folarin Balogun’s World Cup ban. NFF president Lise Klaveness said the issue can’t be swept under the carpet.
In an interview with The Times, the Norwegian football boss urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to admit it was an “error” to suspend the ban. She said we “all know’” the decision had been subject to external pressure.
In a scandal that has cast a long shadow over the World Cup, US president Donald Trump called FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to demand a review of Balogun’s one-match red card suspension ahead of the round of 16 tie with Belgium.
Trump confirmed the call and admitted he had no prior understanding of what a red card was, but FIFA duly obliged and the US forward was allowed to start against the Belgians.
“When you bend a rule like this, you’re on a slippery slope that will put the whole game at risk. It is a worry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of the game,” said Klaveness.
“First of all, it should not have happened. It is very important now to have honest communication around it. We all know that this verdict was influenced from external forces and did not have the proper process. We need our leader in FIFA to say that this was an error.”
FIFA and Infantino have maintained that its judicial bodies operate independently. Mohammed Al Kamali of the United Arab Emirates, the chair of the disciplinary committee, had taken the decision alone. Senior FIFA officials have towed the party line in confirming that Al Kamali had full decision-making power.
Klaveness said: “If you start to adapt in such a way towards state leaders and state politics, you will move your behaviour and the organisation’s behaviour, and also the red line of what states’ leaders should interfere with. And that happened.”
She also questioned why Al Kamali had taken the decision alone.
“When there has been an external, very powerful voice in your ear, it’s very important that you have more voices making the decision,” she said. “If you don’t, it’s a mistake.”
Klaveness emphasised that the case could not be “swept under the carpet”.
“This case was so serious and so worrying that I hope that it might contribute to bring people out a little bit and don’t fear to bring up cases. I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it. To me, it should be in the same sphere of ethical complaint.”
Klaveness and the NFF have already joined a FairSquare complaint at the FIFA ethics committee over the FIFA Peace Prize which Infantino awarded to Trump at the World Cup draw. The NGO alleges that Infantino has repeatedly broken his duty of neutrality that is enshrined in the FIFA statutes.
If Klaveness and the NFF do submit an ethics complaint then it could be joined by a number of other federations. FIFA’s executive have already broken the rules of the statutes for directly lobbying national federations demanding letters of support for Infantino’s re-election. Reports are that as many as 200 letters have been sent in though federations are reporting that they have been pressured into sending with fears over the power Infantino wields over grant money. National associations receive about $4 million a year from FIFA, have of which is for development projects that can get held up it FIFA withholds the release of funds.
See: Infantino uses FIFA staff to lobby MAs for his March 2027 presidential re-election
FIFA integrity debate reignited after news that Balogun red card was a one-man decision
Contact the writer of this story at samindra.kunti@insideworldfootball.com