England head coach Thomas Tuchel has questioned FIFA’s decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s World Cup suspension, mocking the captain. Harry Kane maybe the US President should be called Donald Trump in an attempt to overturn Jarell Quansah’s red card.Tuchel’s comments came after FIFA invoked Article 27 of its disciplinary code to suspend the enforcement of Balogun’s automatic one-match ban, making the United States striker available for Monday’s Round of 16 clash against Belgium. The decision follows reports that Trump contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to request a review of the expulsion.While Tuchel reiterated he did not believe Balogun deserved a red card, he questioned the process behind FIFA’s intervention and warned it could open the door to endless appeals against referee decisions.
Tuchel questions FIFA’s consistency
Speaking after England’s dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico, Tuchel said the issue was not whether Balogun’s tackle should have been sent off, but how the decision was later overturned.“I think first of all, to be very clear, that it is not a red card,” Tuchel said. “But VAR got involved and obviously three people from VAR and the referee looked at it and thought it was a yellow card so the decision was made.”ALSO READ: “It absolutely stinks.” The football world has exploded over Donald Trump’s role in FIFA’s Balogun red-card U-turnHe then asked who had the authority to change the decision.“Who overturned this decision and when and for what reasons? And how far will it go now? It’s just amazing to me,” he said.The England manager stressed that the biggest concern is consistency.“We just want to have consistency in decisions,” he added.Tuchel then pointed to other controversial bookings from the tournament.“So, our yellow card after the first minute against Declan Rice… We can debate endlessly. I don’t think it’s a yellow card. Can we get it back? Did France revoke the yellow card for Michael Olise which was not a yellow card?” he asked. “Where does it end? I don’t know the rules. I’m the wrong person to ask. I’ll wait and see what comes.”
Referee Alireza Faghani showed a red card to England’s Jarell Quansah, 26, during the World Cup round of 16 match. (AP Photo)
Cheeky Trump joke afterwards Any red card:
Tuchel also couldn’t resist a little dig after reports emerged that Trump had spoken to FIFA president Gianni Infantino about Balogun’s suspension.After England’s win over Mexico, Trump praised Harry Kane on social media, calling the striker a “GREAT player.”When asked if Kane could now ask Trump to intervene in Quansah’s red card against Mexico, Tuchel smiled and replied. “Maybe, that’s a good starting point.”The England defender was sent off following a VAR review in the second half at the Estadio Azteca, leaving the Three Lions to play most of the game with 10 men before holding on for a famous victory.
‘Where does it begin and where does it end?’
Tuchel has repeatedly returned to what he believes is the bigger issue created by FIFA’s decision.“Where does it start and where does it end now? Can we reverse it or not? What happened?” he said.He added: “Where to draw the line is the question I’m asking. I don’t have an answer to that.”The England boss concluded by asking whether every controversial disciplinary decision could now be open to appeal.“Where does it end now? Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card. Do we think it’s not a red card or who thought it? Where does it begin and where does it end?” he said.FIFA said Balogun’s suspension was deferred under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which allows the judicial body to suspend the execution of a disciplinary sanction and place the player under a probationary period of one to four years.The decision made Balogun, who scored three goals during the tournament, available as the United States bid to reach its first World Cup quarterfinal since 2002, but it also sparked widespread debate.