Belgian federation says it can’t back Infantino for another FIFA term, cites Balogun red-card ruling

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Belgian soccer federation says it can’t support Gianni Infantino’s bid for another term as FIFA president, citing transparency and governance issues and the way it handled clearing Folarin Balogun from a mandatory one-game ban at the World Cup.

As the head of world soccer’s governing body, Infantino has faced increasing pressure after his controversial plan to sell stakes in the World Cup was met with a furious backlash. But FIFA said Sunday he plans to stand again in next year’s elections for a final term in office through 2031.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said in a statement on Monday its decision not to support Infantino is related to the way FIFA has “shown no transparency” in dealing with the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) case and Balogun’s red card.

With the FFE, FIFA proposed to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity for $4.2 billion. FIFA withdrew the proposal on Aug. 1, just days after it was made public, following intense pushback.

“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 Belgian federation said. “This raises questions regarding the transparency and governance of this process. We remain in close contact with UEFA and, together, we are seeking clear answers regarding the decision-making process and the next steps.”

UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, has led the calls for Infantino to go, saying it had lost confidence in him and previously threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. A number of national associations, such the English FA, have withdrawn support for Infantino’s reelection.

In the Balogun case, the Belgian FA said FIFA has failed to provide satisfactory explanations about the decision and how similar cases will be handled.

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After U.S. President Donald Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a one-game ban for Balogun’s red-card tackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina was deferred so he could play against Belgium with a quarterfinals place at stake. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 after a chaotic 36 hours at the World Cup. The Belgium players were seemingly fired up by one of the all-time controversies in the tournament’s history.

“Two months after the events, we note that our questions remain unanswered to date,” said Pascale Van Damme, the president of the RBFA. “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.”

The Belgian federation has asked FIFA to include the Balogun case on the agenda for the next meeting of the FIFA Council, set to take place on Oct. 15.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage