Soccer
Mauricio Pochettino responds after FIFA's stunning Folarin Balogun U-turn
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USA manager Mauricio Pochettino insists he had no involvement in FIFA's extraordinary U-turn to allow Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium today, Monday July 6, in the World Cup's Round of 32 clash.
The US forward was set to sit this one out after being sent off in his side's 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina 2026 Squad.
While the red card incident looked like an accident and many believing it was not a red card offence there is no appeals process at World Cup tournaments. This means a red card, even if produced in error or deemed harsh, is rarely overturned. In fact, it has only happened once in World Cup history, over 50 years ago.
But on Sunday, FIFA, reportedly after receiving a phone call from President Donald Trump, announced Balogun's suspension in itself would be suspended, allowing him to now be available to face the European giants for the chance to reach the quarter-finals.
After receiving the good news, Pochettino faced the world's media and claimed he had no involvement in conversations with FIFA or awareness of Trump's alleged involvement. Instead he insisted that the right decision has been made and the decision to allow Balogun to play was 'fair'
