In a move that seems both very late and even more pointless, the national soccer association of Norway is reportedly on the verge of filing a formal complaint over the controversial decision to let Folarin Balogun play after receiving a red card.
In an interview with The Times of London, Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) president Lise Klaveness said that the organization intends to file a complaint to FIFA's ethics committee over President Donald Trump's role in the suspension being reversed. Klaveness said that the decision will be reviewed with the NFF board before they formally file.
"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," Klaveness said.
"I will bring it to a board meeting and discuss with my board, and then we do it (file the complaint).
"First of all, it should not have happened. It is very important now to have honest communication around it," Klaveness said. "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."
The Controversy
Balogun's red card during the United States' 2-0 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1. He scored the opening goal before being sent off in the 64th minute after challenging for a loose ball and inadvertently landing on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic.
Referee Raphael Claus initially allowed play to continue, but after a VAR review, upgraded the incident to a straight red card for serious foul play. Many analysts, former referees, players, and fans argued the contact appeared accidental rather than reckless, fueling widespread criticism of the decision.
© Carlos Barria-Reuters via Imagn Images
But in an absolutely stunning reversal, FIFA announced that it would be suspending Balogun's one-match ban, allowing him to compete in the World Cup Round of 16 against Belgium. His presence didn't ultimately do much for the US men's national team as they lost 4-1, but the decision to overturn the ban at all sparked global outrage and condemnation.
The extent to which President Donald Trump actually influenced the decision is still up for debate though.
