Hossam Hassan has reservations about Trump’s intervention to cancel the penalty of the American Balogun in the World Cup

Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egyptian national team, has reservations about the decision of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to cancel the punishment of striker Folarin Balogun after direct intervention by US President Donald Trump, so that the player is eligible to participate in the match against Belgium in the round of 16 competitions.

Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egyptian national team, was asked about this uproar during the press conference preceding the Pharaohs’ confrontation against the defending champions, Argentina, on Tuesday. He responded, laughing, saying, “This is a malicious question.”

The Egyptian coach added, “But the slogan of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is fair play, and we respect FIFA’s decisions.” He pointed out, “We had a suspended player (Muhannad Lashin) for receiving an undeserved warning. He missed the match against Australia, and he made a big difference with us, despite my always emphasizing the importance of all players.”

He concluded his statements, “I was hoping that the grievance we submitted would be accepted, and I assume good faith. We will do what we have to do, respect FIFA’s decisions, and I hope they are for the benefit of everyone.”

Trump confirmed that he had already contacted Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), to review the punishment for Balogun, who received a direct red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 of the World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The US President described the expulsion of Balogun, who scored 3 goals for his country in this edition, as an “unjust decision.”

For his part, Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), confirmed that the decisions of the FIFA committees are independent, despite his objection to them sometimes.

The decision of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee was met with strong objection from the Belgian Football Association on the grounds that it violated the tournament regulations, and the European Football Association (UEFA) also issued a statement declaring its solidarity with the Belgian side.