Belgium take strength from ‘millions and millions’ of new fans before Spain clash
Rudi Garcia says his team can benefit from Balogun red card saga
‘Everyone is talking about us going home but we can do it,’ coach says
Rudi Garcia has claimed that Belgium have got “millions and millions” of new supporters after Donald Trump lobbied Fifa to overturn Folarin Balogun’s red card ahead of their victory against the USA in the last 16 – and that they will take “incredible strength” from that against Spain in their quarter-final. The Belgium coach also insisted that he has faith in his team, even though “everyone thinks we are going home”. Garcia, after all, has a not-so-secret weapon sitting on the bench: when striker Romelu Lukaku is introduced, he said, opponents “quake in their boots”.
Trump boasted that he had phoned Fifa to get Balogun’s punishment put on hold after the direct red card he was shown against Bosnia and Herzegovina. But despite Fifa’s unprecedented decision to suspended the striker’s ban for a year, Belgium still defeated the USA 4-1. At full-time, the Belgium football federation’s social media accounts declared “overturn this” and players celebrated by parodying Trump’s dance. Garcia also confirmed that he had spoken to Balogun, telling him he could not be blamed for Trump’s lobbying or Fifa’s willingness to cede to it.
