FIFA’s handling of two World Cup red-card cases came under renewed scrutiny on Thursday after England defender Jarell Quansah got a two-match suspension while US striker Folarin Balogun avoided an immediate ban for a similar challenge.
That has left former international referees unable to reconcile the two decisions. Quansah was sent off in England’s last-16 victory over Mexico after a video review deemed his sliding studs-up challenge serious foul play. He was later handed a two-match ban that England’s Football Association said it could not appeal.
Balogun, by contrast, was sent off during the United States’ round-of-32 win over Bosnia but received a one-match suspension that world soccer’s governing body FIFA later suspended.
Balogun’s ban was suspended on probation for one year under Article 27 of the disciplinary code, FIFA said, although it has not publicly explained why it considered that sanction appropriate in his case. The fact that US President Donald Trump had personally urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s case only intensified the controversy, even though FIFA insisted the conversation played no part in its decision.
“FIFA have failed in their duty toward the game after they delayed the ban for Balogun. They allowed outside interference by the president,” former referee Keith Hackett wrote on social media on Thursday.
“FIFA the major lawmaker are at fault. But both players committed Serious Foul Play challenges sanctioned by a red card.” Jonas Eriksson, who was a FIFA referee for 16 years from 2002, said if Balogun got a one-match suspension, Quansah should have as well, seeing their two on-field incidents were roughly equal in terms of intensity and aggression.
“What everyone wants from referees, they want the correct decisions, yes, but more important always is consistency,” Eriksson told Reuters.
“That you identify, okay, player A gets the same sanction as player B. Team A gets the same sanction as team B. You know, that’s what you expect. And this is not the case when it comes to Quansah and Balogun.”
British media quickly drew comparisons between the two cases, with The Independent running the headline: “FIFA confirms Jarell Quansah ban just days after Folarin Balogun reprieve.”
Eriksson said the subsequent suspension of Balogun’s match ban was never adequately explained, contributing to the furor. Belgium unsuccessfully challenged Balogun’s eligibility before their round-of-16 victory over the United States, but FIFA has still not publicly explained why it decided to suspend the striker’s ban under Article 27.
“If you’re not able to communicate how they interpret the situation – was it an incorrect decision of the referee or was it the wrong application of the laws of the game – we don’t know,” said Eriksson, whose book “House of Cards” explores the “dirty game behind the game” for FIFA referees.
“It’s just for you and me and for everybody else to guess. But with that in mind, the red card for Quansah and the suspension is for me, just, it’s a mystery.”