By Bo Erickson and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review a red card issued to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, defending the intervention as a bid to correct what he called a "horrible" officiating decision.
The unprecedented move by a sitting U.S. president in a World Cup has thrust FIFA's disciplinary process into the spotlight and prompted an angry response from Belgium, which plays the U.S. on Monday for a place in the quarterfinals.
"All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump said the incident that led to Balogun's red card was simply a case of two athletes colliding.
WASHINGTON, July 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review a red card issued to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, defending the intervention as a bid to correct what he called a "horrible" officiating decision.
The unprecedented move by a sitting U.S. president in a World Cup has thrust FIFA's disciplinary process into the spotlight and prompted an angry response from Belgium, which plays the U.S. on Monday for a place in the quarterfinals.
"All I did, I asked for a review, because I didn't think it was a foul," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump said the incident that led to Balogun's red card was simply a case of two athletes colliding.
4 months ago
