FIFA issue statement on World Cup referee Raphael Claus after Donald Trump comments

FIFA and the FIFA Referees Committee have praised Raphael Claus following comments made by US President Donald Trump.

Claus was the referee who showed USMNT striker Folarin Balogun a red card during their win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and the story does not end there.

Indeed, FIFA decided to suspend Balogun’s suspension for 12 months following an intervention from the US president in almost unprecedented scenes in the World Cup.

Trump then said the referee was “suspect” when speaking about FIFA’s decision on Balogun.

Now, the game’s governing body and perhaps the most iconic referee of all time have thrown support behind the 46-year-old match official.

FIFA say Claus is one of the best referees in the world

A statement released by the governing body said: “FIFA recognises Raphael Claus as one of the world’s leading professional referees and a valued member of Team One at the FIFA World Cup. Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.”

Pierluigi Collina, who is widely regarded as one of the best referees in the history of the sport, also provided a ringing endorsement.

The Italian is now the Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee and said: “Raphael Claus is refereeing at his second FIFA World ‌Cup having been with us ⁠in Qatar in 2022.

“He is an experienced and ⁠highly respected referee and we maintain full confidence in him as a trusted match ‌official.”

There’s little doubt that the decision to suspend Balogun’s red card is one of the most controversial in World Cup history, particularly after Trump himself had intervened.

To say it did not matter would of course be unwise but USMNT’s campaign did end with Balogun in the team against Belgium.

The co-hosts lost 4-1 to Belgium in Seattle in what was a disappointing performance from Mauricio Pochettino’s team after such a strong showing in the group stages.

Quite what happens next is unclear, too. Pochettino is only believed to be under contract until just after the World Cup, although previous reports have suggested that he is in line for a new deal.

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