Erick Thohir, the President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and also Indonesia’s Youth and Sports Minister, has vehemently denied allegations that he exerted influence over the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to impose severe sanctions on the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).
The controversy stems from FIFA’s decision to penalize FAM with a fine exceeding $400,000. Additionally, seven naturalized players were banned from all football activities for 12 months and each fined $2,500. This stringent action was taken after FIFA discovered that FAM had forged naturalization documents for these seven foreign players. The alleged forgery occurred during the final qualifying rounds of the AFC Asian Cup 2027, where Malaysia notably defeated Vietnam by a decisive 4-0 margin.
Following the announcement of these severe penalties, various Malaysian media outlets began circulating accusations. These reports suggested that Erick Thohir was instrumental in instigating FIFA’s actions against FAM. Concerns were voiced within Malaysian football circles, with some media suggesting that an influential figure, perceived to be close to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, harbored worries about the Malaysian national team’s competitive strength due to the high number of naturalized players.
Further fueling these suspicions, Prince Tunku Ismail Idris Johor, president of Malaysian top-tier club Johor Darul Tazim, shared an article that criticized FIFA’s sanctions on FAM and accused the global football body of applying double standards. The article included a photograph of Thohir alongside Infantino, which contributed to the speculation regarding Indonesia’s alleged involvement in the disciplinary measures.
In response to these accusations, Thohir firmly stated that Indonesia’s primary focus remains solely on developing its own national sports infrastructure and talent, emphasizing a policy of non-interference in the affairs of other nations. He clarified that his recent meeting with the FIFA President was exclusively to discuss strategies for strengthening Indonesian football between 2025 and 2029.
It is notable that under Thohir’s leadership, the Indonesian national team has also integrated more than 20 naturalized players, predominantly of Dutch origin, without facing any similar disciplinary action from FIFA. Meanwhile, FAM is currently awaiting a detailed decision from FIFA and plans to appeal the unprecedented severity of the penalties. Should their initial appeal prove unsuccessful, FAM intends to escalate the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
