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The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has strongly criticised a decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban issued to Folarin Balogun following his red card, describing the move as unprecedented and damaging to the integrity of football, EDnews reports.
In a statement released on Monday, UEFA said the decision "crossed a red line," arguing that an automatic suspension following a red card is mandatory under football regulations and cannot be waived or suspended during an ongoing tournament.
UEFA stressed that the minimum one-match suspension is embedded in the rules and does not require interpretation or discretionary approval by any disciplinary body.
The governing body warned that making exceptions undermines the certainty of the rules, the credibility of the competition and the integrity of the game, particularly when other players in the same tournament have already served automatic suspensions for similar offences.
UEFA also cautioned that the decision sets a precedent that could require equal treatment in future disciplinary cases during the tournament, potentially affecting the competition's fairness.
"We express our disbelief at such an unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable decision," the statement said.
The governing body added that football's global credibility depends on the consistent application of the laws of the game across all competitions.
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