By Sam Tobin
SEATTLE, July 5 (Reuters) - Belgium coach Rudi Garcia strongly criticised FIFA's decision on Sunday to suspend a one-match ban for United States striker Folarin Balogun, saying the unprecedented move was against the spirit of the game.
"I didn't know that at the FIFA World Cup the fifth of July is now the first of April and it's April Fool's Day," Garcia told reporters ahead of Monday's last-16 clash.
He referred to a statement issued by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which
said it was "astonished" by FIFA's decision and was "investigating all potential options".
Garcia added: "We are not defending the national team or the federation, we are defending football with its ethics and integrity."
He and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois both insisted the decision would have no impact on Belgium's preparation, though Courtois conceded the timing of the decision was a surprise.
"For us as players, nothing changes," Courtois said. "We focus on the game, to win on the pitch, whoever plays."
Garcia, though, grew visibly irritated with questions about the decision, eventually interjecting: "Please don't waste your time talking about that. We want to focus on sporting matters."
BELGIUM LOOKING TO BEGIN 'NEW ERA'
Courtois is one of the few remaining members of Belgium's 'golden generation' which reached the quarter-finals in 2014 – beating the U.S. along the way – and semi-finals in 2018.
A slew of retirements has shorn the Belgium squad of years of experience, but Courtois backed their younger players to write their own legacy.
"I think this is a new era for us," he said. "It's true that there are some players from the golden era, as some would like to say.
"But the truth is that the World Cup in Qatar (in 2022) for us was not that good, we were eliminated in the group stage.
"Now we have another generation with younger people, new people, willing to do great things and writing in the history pages for Belgium."
(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Christian Radnedge)
