JAKARTA (12 April 2015) – FIFA have threatened possible sanction on the FA of Indonesia (PSSI) should there be continued interference from the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports.
For months, the Ministry of Youth and Sports through its arm BOPI (the Board of Professional Athletes) has hindered the smooth running of the Indonesia QNB League.
It delayed the start of the league by more than a month.
But this week following continued pressure from BOPI not to allow the participation of Arema Cronus and Persebaya Surabaya to play in the 18-team QNB League 2015, it has forced FIFA to send out a letter stating possible sanction.
The letter was signed by FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and was addressed to Indonesian Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi.
In it, FIFA stressed that there should not be any interference from a third party in any matters related to any member association of FIFA which in this case is PSSI.
That PSSI should be allowed to organize their own event and at their own terms without any interference from a third party as provided by article 13 and 17 of FIFA statutes.
Only FIFA or the member association (or affiliated leagues) can be the licensor and body responsible for governing and imposing the criteria of which clubs must meet in order to participate (c.f. art. 2 and 3 of the FIFA Club Licensing Regulations).
FIFA also reminded that the Indonesian Sports Ministry and BOPI should refrain from putting additional pressure on PSSI as this will be construed as interfering which in turn could make sanction a possibility on PSSI.
