As a Fifa media officer read aloud the statement confirming the governing body’s shock reversal of US striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension on Sunday, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois put their poker faces to work. Garcia stared straight down the aisle of the press conference room at Seattle Stadium. Courtois’s eyes fluttered about, perhaps masking some rolls as he faced a press pack eager to make sense of an unexpected World Cup twist.
Balogun’s reinstatement came across as a joke to the Belgian boss, though he hardly seemed ready for a laugh.
“I didn’t know that 5 July was equal to 1 April [April Fools’ Day] at Fifa,” Garcia said in his native French. “I think we should refer to the [statement] of my federation, the Belgian federation. I think a lot of things are in it. The federation does not defend itself, it does not defend the national team – it defends football in general. It defends its integrity. It defends its ethics.”
In that statement released Sunday, the Belgian federation dove deeper into the disciplinary code in response to Fifa’s citation of Article 27 to justify the change in Balogun’s punishment. Fifa had previously used Article 27 to clear Cristiano Ronaldo to start Portugal’s opening World Cup game after he received a red card in a November qualifier.
“The Royal Belgian Football Association [RBFA] is astonished by Fifa’s decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play,” it said. “In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options.”
When asked if it was fair to Belgium’s preparations to make such a change on the eve of a knockout match, Courtois demurred.
“That’s a question for the football world, not for me as a player,” the goalkeeper said. “Of course it surprises you a bit, especially because it’s the day before the game. If the day after the game it’s already decided, you can adjust to it. But as a player group, we have to win the game on the field. He’s a good player, but we have to win against the whole of America. For us as a group of players, we are going to do our thing on the field. We deserve it with our football and we want to win.”
As word of the suspension of Balogun’s ban began to spread, Norway head coach Ståle Solbakken became the first to comment on it, doing so after his team’s 2-0 win over Brazil in the last 16.
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“It is a big mistake by Fifa. It is not a great conclusion. He got a red card and the VAR concluded that it was a red card. That means you are suspended for one game,” he said. “I think what is really bad about that situation is, if the USA beat Belgium, they will always have that extra thing about it. The Belgians will be furious. What about the next red card? What happens there? Will some committee take it away? It’s a bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup and the United States.”
