Kelly Cates and pundits react as FIFA suspends Balogun red-card ban before USA-Belgium

BBC presenter Kelly Cates takes swipe at Taylor Swift’s husband during World Cup coverage

Travis Kelce married Taylor Swift on Saturday (Pictures: BBC/Getty) Sports presenter Kelly Cates took a swipe at Taylor Swift’s new husband Travis Kelce during the BBC’s World Cup coverage. Cates, 50, chaired a discussion about United States striker Folarin Balogun’s controversial red card suspension before England’s last-16 clash against Mexico. FIFA have confirmed Balogun is available to play in the USA’s only last-16 game against Belgium after his one-game ban was suspended. Balogun, currently at Monaco and formerly of Arsenal, was shown a straight red card in the co-hosts’ last-32 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. That looked set to rule the 25-year-old out of the upcoming clash with Belgium but FIFA said the ban would be suspended for a year without offering any specific reason. Belgium’s football association has reacted furiously to the decision, insisting they are ‘astonished’ and saying they will ‘investigate all potential options’ in response. Cates asked BBC pundits Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards for their take on the controversy before England’s last-16 clash against Mexico in the early hours of Monday morning. United States striker Folarin Balogun received a red card (Picture: Getty) Cates, who is the daughter of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, noted how there had been a ‘big social media campaign among huge American sports stars’ for FIFA to intervene. NFL superstar Kelce was among those to throw their support behind Balogun but Cates said he should instead have been ‘concentrating’ on his wedding. Kelce and popstar Swift tied the knot at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday in a star-studded ceremony officiated by Adam Sandler. Newly-married couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (Picture: Getty) ‘Listen, there’s a big story today with Folarin Balogun,’ Cates said on BBC One. ‘He was sent off against Bosnia but will be available to face Belgium in the round-of-16. ‘Look, you can definitely make a case that this is a harsh red card. But he gets an automatic one-game ban and the red card has not been rescinded, it’s just been suspended for a year which is why he’s available to face Belgium. ‘The Belgian FA says its astonished and investigating all potential options. There was a big social media campaign among huge American sports stars – including Travis Kelce who should have been concentrating on his wedding. Donald Trump praised FIFA’s decision (Picture: Getty) ‘Meanwhile US president Donald Trump has thanked FIFA for reversing what he called a great injustice. ‘It’s gone all the way to the president and the red card has not been rescinded, it’s been suspended for a year.’ Taking to social media two days before his wedding, Kelce wrote: ‘That foul looked incidental from Balogun, shouldn’t a Red Card be given if there is either intention to foul, or an action that is aggressive and unsafe in nature? Mauricio Pochettino’s USA face Belgium next (Picture: Getty) ‘Didn’t feel like Balogun was out of control or anything, just looked like it kind of happened.’ Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville slammed FIFA’s controversial decision, insisting it ‘absolutely stinks’. ‘It absolutely stinks, let’s be really clear,’ Neville – who represented England at two World Cups – said on ITV. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page But what I would say, the thing that stinks the most is there should be a review process in place because I actually didn’t think it was a red card. ‘I think there should be a process which allows it to be overturned, but if there’s no process for it to be overturned and then somehow FIFA, from nowhere, have decided to basically let a player play… and the rules are the same for everybody. ‘I would be absolutely raging if I was Belgium and every other team in the tournament that’s had a player sent off that might think it’s a little bit hard done by. ‘Do you know something? Are we surprised? No, not with this lot.’ Arsenal legend Ian Wright, meanwhile, said the decision was just the latest in a long line of ‘shameful’ episodes at this summer’s tournament. Mauricio Pochettino’s USA face Belgium in the early hours of Tuesday morning for a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

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‘Absolutely stinks!’ – Gary Neville blasts ‘shameful’ FIFA decision at World Cup

FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s ban ‘stinks’, says Manchester United legend Gary Neville (Picture: Getty) Gary Neville has slammed FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban at the World Cup, claiming the controversial call ‘absolutely stinks’. Balogun was shown a straight red card for a foul on Tarik Muharemovic during the USA’s round of 32 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, meaning he had been in line to miss the co-hosts’ last 16 clash with Belgium. However, three days on from the USA’s win, FIFA confirmed that Balogun’s ban would be suspended for 12 months, a decision which has left the Belgian Football Association ‘astonished’ and ‘investigating potential options’ by way of response. ‘I didn’t know the game was being played on April Fool’s Day rather than July 6,’ Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia joked. Don't miss a World Cup moment England's hero (Picture:Getty) What a rollercoaster this has been. Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter, featuring England updates, match previews and exclusive analysis. Sign up now. ‘In line with article 27 of the Fifa disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,’ FIFA’s statement read. ‘If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.’ US President Donald Trump took to social media to applaud FIFA over the call, thanking the governing body for ‘reversing a great injustice’ ahead of Tuesday’s showdown with Belgium in Seattle. Balogun had been due to miss the USA’s clash with Belgium (Picture: Getty) The ex-Arsenal forward has scored three goals at this summer’s tournament (Picture: Getty) But reacting to the news in the ITV studio, the channel’s all-star punditry panel of Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane condemned the decision, with the latter stating: ‘It seems unfair because it is unfair. ‘You’ve got to look at the opposition team in terms of their preparation and it seems like a bit of a pal’s act shall we say.’ Keane’s former Manchester United team-mate Neville went a step further, claiming he would be ‘absolutely raging’ if he was in Belgium’s camp. ‘It absolutely stinks, let’s be really clear,’ Neville – who represented England at two World Cups – chimed in. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘But what I would say, the thing that stinks the most is there should be a review process in place because I actually didn’t think it was a red card. ‘I think there should be a process which allows it to be overturned, but if there’s no process for it to be overturned and then somehow FIFA, from nowhere, have decided to basically let a player play… and the rules are the same for everybody. ‘I would be absolutely raging if I was Belgium and every other team in the tournament that’s had a player sent off that might think it’s a little bit hard done by. ‘Do you know something? Are we surprised? No, not with this lot.’ To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Wright, meanwhile, said the decision was just the latest in a long line of ‘shameful’ episodes at this summer’s tournament. ‘Suspensions are meant to be served during the tournament,’ the former Arsenal and England striker said. ‘This one being suspended, it doesn’t normally happen, but we’re talking about integrity, people talking about transparency, but you look at some of the things that have happened at this tournament with certain teams… it’s shameful, especially as he’s an American player. ‘Whether he’s guilty of what he done, whether we think he should have got the red card or not, some of the things that have happened at this World Cup have been shameful.’ Balogun’s ban has been suspended for 12 months (Picture: Getty) USA attacker Christian Pulisic revealed that the squad discovered that Balogun’s one-game ban had been suspended on the team coach to training on Sunday. ‘Just a big smile on his face and all of ours,’ Pulisic said when asked how Balogun had reacted to the news. ‘The foul wasn’t what it was, it was harsh.’ Monaco striker Balogun, formerly of Arsenal, has scored three goals at this year’s tournament, including the opener in the USA’s defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina prior to his sending off. The winner of USA’s upcoming clash with Belgium will face off against one of Portugal’s round of 16 tie with Spain for a place in the quarter-finals. The Stars and Stripes have only ever reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup on one occasion since their third-place finish way back in 1930. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

10 hours ago