Rudi Garcia, head coach of Belgian national football team, has reacted to the news that FIFA had cleared Folarin Balogun from his one-match suspension, for receiving a straight red card, and will be available for the World Cup match against Belgium on Monday (Tuesday, July 7 at 2:00 CEST, 1:00 BST).
"I didn't know that at the FIFA World Cup the fifth of July is now the first of April and it's April Fool's Day," Garcia said in the press conference on Sunday, and referred to the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) statement sent hours earlier. "We are not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football with its ethics and integrity."
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, also at the press conference, said that if the decision had come earlier, they could have had more time to mentally prepare, but that "for us as players, nothing changes", and they will focus on the game no matter who plays. According to Reuters, Garcia ended up tired of questions about the topic, and asked for questions on sporting matters only.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) said they were "astonished" by the decision, explaining FIFA violated their own articles regarding automatic suspensions after red cards. " In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options."
