OFFICIAL: FIFA imposes a severe penalty, shaking Indonesian football

Sumardji, Chairman of the Indonesian National Team Committee, has been officially suspended for 20 matches and fined 500 million VND by FIFA due to violent behavior directed at a Chinese referee.

The world football governing body (FIFA) has just handed down a very harsh punishment to Mr. Sumardji - Chairman of the National Team Executive Committee under PSSI, following a serious incident during the match between Indonesia and Iraq. According to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s ruling, Sumardji is banned from participating in football-related activities for 20 matches and fined 15,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 324 million rupiah.

The incident occurred after Indonesia’s 0-1 defeat to Iraq in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region, held on October 11, 2025. The match was officiated by Chinese referee Ma Ning and sparked controversy due to decisions perceived as unfavorable to the Indonesian team. Tensions escalated in the final minutes, especially when Indonesian players Shayne Pattynama and Thom Haye were each shown red cards.

According to FIFA disciplinary documents, after the match ended, Sumardji committed violent acts against the referee. The disciplinary committee concluded that he rushed from behind and forcefully pushed the referee, causing him to lose balance over several meters, forcing other players to intervene to stop him. The referee immediately issued a red card to Sumardji on the field.

Notably, during the disciplinary review, Sumardji did not deny his actions. According to FIFA, he failed to provide any evidence or arguments to dispute the referees’ report or the video footage of the incident, despite having the opportunity. This led to the penalty being upheld at a very severe level.

On his part, Sumardji explained that his actions stemmed from a desire to “sacrifice himself” to prevent the referee from issuing a red card to player Shayne Pattynama due to an excessive reaction. He stated that he asked the referee to give the red card to himself instead of the player, and ultimately, red cards were given to him and Thom Haye, rather than three red cards as could have initially occurred.

According to CNN Indonesia’s confirmation, the sanction was actually issued by FIFA in November 2025, but PSSI did not widely publicize it and chose to quietly appeal. However, this appeal was rejected by FIFA in early February 2026, causing the issue to be officially exposed.

Compared to Sumardji, players Shayne Pattynama and Thom Haye were only banned for 4 matches, meaning they will definitely miss the FIFA Days training camps in March and June. Sumardji’s case is considered the most severe and serious in this incident.

This record punishment from FIFA raises many questions about Sumardji’s future at PSSI. As a veteran figure who has served for many years as head of the Indonesian national team delegation, the possibility of his resignation is increasingly being discussed. If that happens, the upper echelons of Indonesian football are likely to face significant changes in the near future.