European Parliament against FIFA, urging an investigation into the links between Infantino and Trump

from our correspondent in Strasbourg – The World Cup and interference by US President Donald Trump: the European Parliament is now trying to put pressure on the European football associations to corner FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino. MEPs have written a letter to “request an investigation to ascertain whether Infantino was involved in the decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed following the red card received by Folarin Balogun, a player for the US men’s national team, and whether pressure from the US administration influenced that decision.” 

A virtually unprecedented move, given that nothing of the sort has ever occurred before in the history of the Football World Cup. A head of state asking, while the competition is still underway, to reverse decisions that have already been taken is something that is not considered acceptable within the European Parliament and, for this reason, the letter – which Eunews has had the opportunity to view – continues: “we believe the time has come for the European football associations – all affiliated to UEFA – to intervene and call on FIFA to investigate the aforementioned decision-making processes.” 

UEFA is the governing body of European football, and national teams take part in the World Cup through this organisation, which is responsible for the qualifying rounds. The letter does not ask UEFA to take action; it asks all 55 UEFA members, including the Italian FIGC, to conduct “an investigation into the links between Gianni Infantino and President Trump”, with a view to “examining the decision-making process that led FIFA to lift the ban imposed on a player from the US men’s national team.” The aim of this investigation, it is stated, is “to ensure that the rules are applied in a way that safeguards the integrity of the game”. 

This is not the first time the European Parliament has commented on the Football World Cup: it has already done so for the 2022 World Cup, alleging corruption within FIFA. Now, however, it is the President who is in the hot seat.