After a viral allegation that the European Parliament has called for an inquiry into FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the issue has grown into a big online controversy. The explosive headline is not the whole story, though.
The discussion started following the signing of a letter by 72 members of the European Parliament that raised concerns over the handling of the disciplinary action against United States forward Folarin Balogun by FIFA. The red card was Balogun’s in the USA’s round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, meaning he would have automatically been suspended for one match.
This suspension was later lifted by FIFA, leading to anger from Belgian supporters, coaches, and football officials. The Belgian Football Association is said to have reacted in a manner befitting an “astonishing” decision, asking for clarification.
The political heat turned up further when US President Donald Trump admitted that he had requested FIFA to examine the matter. Trump indicated he wasn’t going to punish Balogun’s challenge.
This development prompted 72 MEPs to ask themselves whether politics was involved in the disciplinary process at FIFA. They issued their letter asking the football associations of the 27 member states of the European Union to ask the FIFA Ethics Committee to look into the issue.
But the letter was not an official vote of the European Parliament. The club refrained from holding a formal vote, signing the letter, or officially requesting a FIFA investigation into Gianni Infantino. It was not a parliamentary initiative; instead, it was supported by individual legislators.
The MEPs explained that their concerns were not geared towards punishing Balogun. Rather, they said, FIFA should safeguard football integrity, enforce disciplinarity and have political neutrality.
FIFA’s stance is that the decision was taken by the disciplinary committee of the organization. Infantino also confirmed that he spoke with Trump but assured him that the case will be dealt with by FIFA’s “competent judicial bodies.”
But as European legislators look for answers, the viral posts that say the European Parliament officially opened or requested a FIFA investigation are false. The reality is that 72 MEPs are demanding transparency from FIFA and not a declaration against Infantino.
