Jayapura, Jubi – Save Our Soccer’s activist Apung Widadi said the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Imam Nahrawi would be the most responsible person if his decision to suspend PSSI (the Indonesian Football Association) would result sanctions from FIFA that might cause Persipura’s elimination from the AFC Cup.
Though he considered the suspension as a proper decision, he said the move could cause hurt law-abiding football clubs in Indonesia.
He said there are four issues in PSSI that encouraged the government to suspend it. First, the issue of financial transparency; PSSI was allegedly not transparent in the transaction of broadcasting rights and the use of the state budget.
“Secondly, it’s about clubs management in the Indonesia Super League (LSI). PPSI is very awful in managing the league, such as payment of players’ salary,” Widardi told Jubi on Monday (4/5/2015).
And the third is goal setting. It was not only happening in the LSI but also in the international match that involved the Indonesian national team. And the last, according to him, PSSI is full of politicians. “Because politicians take many position in PSSI, it makes difficult for this organization to grow,” he said.
Even though he supported the government’s decision, but he considered the government has no clear exit plan, thus it might risk the uncorrupted teams the negative impact of its decision.
He also doubted FIFA to give a sanction over Indonesia, because it also considered the same with PSSI. “It’s not different with PSSI. I doubted it to give a sanction over Indonesia,” he added.
Related to Persipura, he said the most responsible person in this case is the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. “Persipura is clean. It’s has no connection with those PSSI problems. It might have a little trouble with sponsorship from Bank Papua that could be categorized in the regional budget, despite the Regional Budget itself. Thus, Persipura should not be affected by this suspension. If it was happened, Persipura would become the club with great loss. In this case, the minister must guarantee Persipura to continue playing in the AFC Cup,” said Widadi.
Persipura is currently playing for the final game of group round against the Indian club, Bengaluru JSW. Persipura has a chance to go to the next round and win this Asian second rank of football competition.
“This morning the team has departed to Jakarta for final rehearsal against the host team Bengaluru JSW in India on 12 May 2015,” Persipura Spokesperson Bento Mdubun said on Monday (4/5/2015). (Victor Mambor/rom)
