Wayne Rooney harshly criticized FIFA’s decision to suspend for one year the sanction imposed on Folarin Balogun, allowing the United States forward to face Belgium in the World Cup round of 16, despite being sent off in the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina: “I think it’s an absolute disgrace. The most disgraceful thing is suspending the sanction for a year. Infantino should be ashamed because this decision undermines the sporting spirit of football,” declared the former England international in his commentary space on the BBC. The former captain of the England team did not hold back in his criticism of the governing body of world football, stating that the measure “undermines the sporting spirit.” Rooney went even further, stating that Gianni Infantino “should be ashamed of the decision.” The ex-forward also recalled the three-match suspension he served during Euro 2012, arguing that if FIFA considered Balogun’s sending off incorrect, they should have overturned the red card instead of suspending the sanction for 12 months. The controversy continues to generate strong international repercussions. UEFA publicly criticized FIFA’s decision, while the Belgian federation filed an appeal to try to prevent Balogun from playing against Belgium, in a case that has divided the football world.
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