The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) announced Monday it will not support Gianni Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president, citing concerns over transparency and governance. The decision stems from issues surrounding the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal and the handling of Folarin Balogun’s red card at the World Cup.
The RBFA stated its lack of support is due to FIFA’s “no transparency” in dealing with the FFE case, a plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity for $4.2 billion. FIFA withdrew the proposal on August 1 after facing significant backlash. “The RBFA notes that, in this matter, a number of important decisions and assessments have, to date, not been sufficiently substantiated by adequate justifications,” the federation said in a statement. They are seeking clear answers alongside UEFA, European soccer's governing body.
The federation also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding a decision to defer a one-game ban for U.S. player Folarin Balogun’s red-card tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The ban was deferred after a call from U.S. President Donald Trump, allowing Balogun to play against Belgium. Belgium subsequently defeated the U.S. 4-1. Pascale Van Damme, the president of the RBFA, noted that questions regarding the Balogun case remain unanswered two months after the event.
“Given the importance of transparency and clarity for all parties involved, we request the necessary explanations and, at the same time, wish to explore where improvements to the current processes are possible, so that similar cases can be handled in a clear, consistent and efficient manner in the future,” Van Damme said. The RBFA has requested the Balogun case be added to the agenda for the next FIFA Council meeting on October 15.
Read the original coverage
💬 Comments
📜 Comment Policy