LaLiga chief names Balogun case 'tip of the iceberg' of FIFA problems
· Yahoo Sports
Spanish league chief Javier Tebas has hit out at governing body FIFA but also national federations in connection with the red card affair around United States player Folarin Balogun.
"World football deserves institutions that are accountable, respect the rules, and govern with transparency—not through unilateral, discretionary, arbitrary decisions ... that erode the trust of fans, clubs, leagues, and player," Tebas said on X.
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Balogun was sent off in the US team's last 32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. FIFA suspended the ban and US President Donald Trump said he had called FIFA president Gianni Infantino calling for a review.
Infantino insisted that the disciplinary committee was an independent body and Balogun was in the starting XI on Monday in the last 16 match they lost 4-1 against Belgium.
LaLiga boss Tebas said the case only "the tip of the iceberg of a governance model that has been eroding the credibility of FIFA and football in general for many years."
He named FIFA a closed institution which makes decisions without consulting with stakeholders such as national leagues, and urged others to speak up as well.
"And the worst of all is that much of the football world is aware of it, but too many prefer to maintain a complicit silence. Because staying quiet is more comfortable than defending independence, transparency and good governance," he said.
Uefa vice-president Laura McAllister meanwhile warned that the Balogun affair could only be the start of political interference.
"You're creating an absolute cesspit for the future because anyone can appeal," she told BBC Radio Wales.
"Any political leader could potentially pick up the phone and say there's a precedent for changing a punishment awarded to a player and I think it's extremely dangerous."
UEFA said on Monday that FIFA had "crossed a red line" and McAllister said: "I think in the lead-up to this World Cup it was understandable that Gianni Infantino needed to ensure that Trump was on board with this huge tournament that effectively funds everything that FIFA does.
"But I think it just went too far and he was trapped into this vortex of a relationship with Trump which meant that what happened on the weekend was almost bound to happen."