Reaction to FIFA suspending Balogun red-card ban after Trump intervention

July 6 : FIFA suspended United States striker Folarin Balogun's automatic red-card ban on Sunday, clearing him to face Belgium in Monday's World Cup last-16 clash, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the decision.

Following are quotes and reactions.

UEFA

"Yesterday's decision to suspend for a probationary period of a year the implementation of the one-match automatic suspension following the red card issued to the player Folarin Balogun crossed a red line.

"A minimum automatic suspension of one match following a red card is not a discretionary option and does not require the decision of a competent body to be enacted.

"It is a principle embedded in regulations, which cannot be made subject to exceptions, let alone in the middle of a tournament where several other players have been in the same situation and regularly served their suspension.

"When the certainty of rules is no longer guaranteed by its guardians, the integrity of the game is at stake and the credibility of a competition is undermined.

"Equally, such decision creates a precedent in the ongoing tournament, where similar situations will now require an equal treatment, to the detriment of the competition."

ROYAL BELGIAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

"FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

"However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup."

GERMAN FOOTBALL