England manager Thomas Tuchel has questioned FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban, saying the move has created uncertainty over the consistency of disciplinary decisions after England’s own defender Jarell Quansah was sent off against Mexico.
Quansah was shown a red card following a VAR review during England’s dramatic 3-2 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 victory over Mexico, forcing the Three Lions to play much of the second half with 10 men.
A day later, FIFA confirmed that United States striker Folarin Balogun would be eligible to face Belgium after invoking Article 27 of its disciplinary code to defer his one-match suspension for the red card he received against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The decision has sparked widespread debate after reports said U.S. President Donald Trump contacted FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review Balogun’s punishment.
Speaking after England’s win, Tuchel said he believed Balogun’s dismissal should not have been a red card but questioned how FIFA could overturn the suspension after the referee and VAR had already reached a decision.
“Who overturns this decision and when and on what grounds? And how far does this go now?” Tuchel asked.
Asked whether England captain Harry Kane could now ask Trump to help overturn Quansah’s suspension, Tuchel joked: “Maybe, that’s a good starting point.”
The England coach said the bigger concern was where FIFA would draw the line, questioning whether teams could now appeal yellow cards or other disciplinary decisions they believed were incorrect.
England will face Norway in the quarterfinals, with Quansah set to miss the match through suspension. (Newswire)