JAKARTA (24 May 2011) – Joko Driyono, a member of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee, said that the possibility of the Indonesia FA (PSSI) being sanctioned by FIFA is 2,000%.
The Congress to elect a new chairman, deputy chairman and also the executive committee ended in chaos last week which forced Agum Gumelar, the chairman of the Normalisation Committee, to call the whole thing off.
“All I can say is we’ve communicated to FIFA that we failed to hold the congress. In my opinion, the chance of a FIFA sanction is 2,000%,” said Joko (pix), who is also the acting general secretary of the PSSI.
“The members of the normalization committee have agreed not to make any comments on our meeting with the representatives from FIFA.”
Joko admitted that the situation had deteriorated so badly that the PSSI would struggle to convince FIFA to change their mind.
“It’s not about what the PSSI can do after this. It’s about what kind of sanction that FIFA will give us,” he added.
A sanction would bar Indonesia from playing in all FIFA-sanctioned events, such as the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and any Asian Football Confederation club competitions. It would also keep Indonesia from competing in football at the SEA Games, which they will host in November.
“We could hold a local league, but we could not play in any of FIFA’s events,” Joko said. “I don’t know how long the suspension would last, but it depends on the association’s commitment to solving their problems.”
