Neville, Wright and Keane Criticize US President’s FIFA Intervention After Controversy

Neville, Wright and Keane criticized the US president’s interference with FIFA during the programme, arguing that the move embarrassed the US national team.

Keane was the first to speak, saying:
“The American players have a strong sense of integrity. Something like that happening 48 hours before a game is not something they would appreciate. Players in the dressing room don’t want to gain any unfair advantage; they want to compete fairly. The US president putting pressure on FIFA has frustrated the players. It has created unnecessary pressure for them, and I would say it definitely had an impact.”

Wright then added:
“It embarrassed them. I feel sorry for the American fans who genuinely love football. The president getting involved made them look bad. Like Roy said, Belgium became even more focused because of it and ended up giving them a footballing lesson.”

Keane continued:
“The American players must be feeling terrible right now. I feel sorry for them.”

Wright added:
“Even neutral fans felt the same way. Everyone was cheering for the US team’s performances and the momentum they had built, but after that decision, people wanted to see the US lose.”

Neville commented:
“The US Soccer Federation and the players — perhaps even Mauricio — could have done one thing: remove Balogun from the squad and publicly say, ‘We do not accept this.’ That would have been a powerful statement and would have earned them a lot of respect around the world. But they may have been under too much pressure to go against the wishes of those above them.”

Keane responded:
“But Gary, if they had done that, it would have been extremely embarrassing for the president. He is almost the opposite of someone who turns things into gold — everything he touches seems to go wrong. I don’t think they could have done it. I feel sorry for Balogun. The fact that he went over to the opposition coach after the match showed real class.”

Wright highlighted:
“Balogun went over to Rudy Garcia and said, ‘I’m very sorry.’ Rudy Garcia responded with great respect, saying, ‘This has nothing to do with you. Thank you for coming over to speak with me. I don’t blame you.’”

Keane concluded:
“Balogun’s conduct throughout the whole situation was impeccable. As for the US president, we cannot control what he does, but football should be governed by one organization — FIFA. Yet FIFA came under pressure this time. That is where the question lies: why couldn’t FIFA stand firm?”