"Independent" - Infantino addresses Trump calls

FIFA's decision not to suspend Folarin Balogun for the World Cup round of 16 after his red card is causing huge waves.

While countless individuals - including Donald Trump (all info >>>) - have commented on the matter, one remained silent until now: Gianni Infantino. However, FIFA has now released a statement with comments from the FIFA President.

Infantino has taken notice of the commotion surrounding the issue and wants to affirm: "FIFA's judicial bodies are independent."

Not only Trump called

After US President Trump confirmed the phone call with Infantino, the FIFA boss now adds: "Yes, I regularly discuss matters related to the FIFA World Cup with the President of the United States, and in this matter, I did indeed receive a call from President Donald Trump."

However, calls from stakeholders from politics, business, or football are not uncommon. Infantino receives "calls from heads of state, government representatives, football stakeholders, and business leaders from all over the world on many different topics."

Infantino stated that he informed Trump that a procedure regarding Balogun's red card was already underway at the time of the call.

"Crucial for integrity"

The judicial bodies decide based on the applicable regulations, says the Swiss official: "Their independence is crucial for the credibility and integrity of football and must always be respected."

He himself reads the decisions of the Disciplinary Committee as soon as they are published. "Sometimes they surprise me, sometimes I agree with them, sometimes I don't."

"What I always do, however, is to respect these decisions and the autonomy of the bodies that make them – whether we personally like a decision or not is irrelevant," said Infantino.