'This is why everyone hates America' - Jesse Marsch slams Trump and FIFA

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FT Desk

Canada boss Jesse Marsch says one controversial World Cup saga is why everyone "hates America".

During the tournament, FIFA caused fury when they decided to overturn USMNT striker Folarin Balogun's suspension to allow him to play in the country's next game against Belgium.

Balogun had been given a straight red card in the Round of 32 fixture against Bosnia & Herzegovina, which ruled him out of the Round of 16 match against Belgium after the US progressed with a 2-0 win.

Reports then emerged over the weekend that FIFA had made the incredible decision to overrule that suspension, allowing the forward to feature. It was later revealed by United States President Donald Trump that he had personally contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino to ask for Balogun to be made available for the Belgium fixture.

FIFA lifted the suspension under Article 27 of its Disciplinary Code, which permits the organisation "to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure."

The Belgian Football Association were flabbergasted, releasing a statement saying it was "astonished" by the ruling and insisting it would pursue justice regardless of the outcome of the match.

Infantino had already received plenty of criticism for his increasingly close relationship with Trump as FIFA is supposed to remain politically neutral.

Marsch says it is that kind of interference which leads the rest of the world to view the United States in a negative light.

“We, as Americans, have been inundated with propaganda since we were young," Marsch, born in Wisconsin, said.

"We’re the No. 1 country in the world, we deserve everything, we dominate everything, No. 1 in every aspect of life. This is what we’ve been told. So, when things happen and we don’t feel like we’re in control of it … we feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we’re Americans. That is one of the things that infuriates the rest of the world about Americans.

“This is why everyone around the world hates America."

The USA ended up losing that game against Belgium anyway and were eliminated from the World Cup, but the whole affair was overshadowed by Balogun's participation.

Marsch reckons the saga took away some goodwill that the USA generated in the early stages of the tournament.

“The U.S. had had a good World Cup, was doing well. All that switched in one moment,” he added.

The former Leeds manager was previously the assistant coach of the United States alongside Bob Bradley and he'll take on the country of his birth as Canada's head coach this week when the nations face off in an international friendly.

La Liga President Javier Tebas also commented on the Balogun saga recently and was under no illusions about how serious it is that FIFA and Infantino intervened after a request from Trump.

"We have FIFA, which has overturned a red card because the president of a country called the FIFA president," Tebas said at a FIFPro event in London.

"This is the most serious incident in the history of football. I think that, for this to be resolved, the issue of governance has to be addressed clearly."