Infantino facing IOC probe after complaint lodged over Trump’s Balogun intervention
Fifa boss Gianni Infantino is facing an International Olympic Committee investigation after an official complaint was filed following US President Donald Trump’s intervention to block Folarin Balogun’s ban.
The decision to suspend Balogun’s ban – enabling the USA’s best player to continue playing in the World Cup after he was sent off against Bosnia and Herzegovina – caused widespread shock and dismay.
Balogun should have served an automatic one-match suspension, with no recourse to appeal, but in an unprecedented move Fifa allowed him to play in the last-32 game against Belgium. They were subsequently thrashed, but pressure continues to mount on Infantino around the matter.
Morning Wire can reveal that human rights non-profit FairSquare filed an official complaint this week to the IOC. Infantino is an IOC member and has sworn to political neutrality.
The 10-page document, seen by Morning Wire, argues: “There is strong evidence to suggest the decision was rooted in political pressure applied by the US President to Gianni Infantino.”
The dossier of evidence includes Trump’s own quotes boasting about his intervention. Trump said he “spoke to Gianni” and “I asked for a review by Fifa”. He also said he “loves sports” and “understands sports really well”.
During Infantino’s IOC membership ceremony in Lausanne, in 2020, he read aloud an oath which included the line: “I will always act independently of commercial and political interests as well as of any racial or religious consideration.”
IOC rules also state that “members of the IOC will not accept from governments, organisations, or other parties, any mandate or instructions liable to interfere with the freedom of their action and vote”.
Members found to have breached the regulations can be expelled from the IOC or suspended for a period. Infantino admitted speaking with Trump about the matter but insisted the call did not influence Fifa’s decision-making.
“During our conversation, I explained that there was an ongoing legal process involving Fifa’s independent judicial bodies and that the case would be decided in due course by the competent bodies,” he said. “That is how Fifa’s system works, and it is a principle that I will always uphold.”
The FairSquare complaint adds: “If Gianni Infantino intervened in this affair at the behest of the US President, this would not only constitute a further serious breach of IOC rules on political neutrality, it would violate the fundamental principle of fair play.”
England and Messi bigger semi-final draw
England and Lionel Messi have proven a significantly bigger sell for the World Cup semi-finals, with tickets on resale platforms around double those for France v Spain.
Thomas Tuchel’s team have seen their popularity soar in the US during the World Cup, in part due to the support of David Beckham, who has appeared in a succession of adverts during the tournament, and a host of celebrities who have adopted the nation.
The White Lotus actress Alexandra Daddario, born in New York, wore an England shirt at the Norway quarter-final. American tennis star Amanda Anisimova was also supporting England in Miami.
The chance to watch Messi in his last World Cup semi-final – and possibly last World Cup match ever – has also driven demand.
Brit to lead basketball charge in India
A 33-year-old Brit has been headhunted to build India’s first ever professional basketball league. Jake Lush McCrum spent eight years as chief executive of Indian Premier League cricket team Rajasthan Royals before taking charge of the newly-formed Indian Basketball League.
It is believed there are as many as 100m basketball fans in a country that has lacked a professional league. The IBL will run a high performance centre in Bengaluru – India’s first residential training venue for elite basketball.
McCrum, educated at Somerset private school Millfield, was previously an investment analyst and associate at Blenheim Chalcot, a tech venture capital firm in London.
He moved into sport joining Rajasthan Royals, working his way up the ladder as general manager, chief operating officer and CEO. A year after becoming chief executive his remit expanded to lead South African Twenty20 franchise Paarl Royals and Caribbean Premier League side Barbados Royals.
McCrum wrote on LinkedIn: “The mission: build India’s second-biggest sports property, create an entertainment product that fans are passionate about, and develop a sustainable ecosystem around it. There’s a lot of work ahead and I couldn’t be more motivated by the challenge.”
Chelsea continue AI expansion
Chelsea are hiring a Junior AI Automation Engineer as the club grows its data and artificial intelligence capacities.
The Blues have been building a deep department to maximise data and AI. In the past two years major hires have included Sachin Gupta as chief analytics officer after 18 years in the NBA and Javier Fernandez, who has a PhD in AI, as director of data science after five years at Barcelona.
Chelsea are whittling down over 100 applications for the new position. The successful candidate will be expected to build internal tools and automations.
The club want to become one of the most advanced in world football. They recently signed a deal with industrial AI firm IFS, who became brief front-of-shirt sponsors for the second half of last season before continuing with a partnership that runs until 2028. IFS’s AI is being used to power and streamline operations on and off the pitch.