February 5, 2026 | 09:59 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Indonesian national team manager and chair of the National Team Body (BTN), Sumardji, has officially received a severe sanction from FIFA. The punishment was imposed after Sumardji was found guilty of aggressive behavior against Chinese referee Ma Ning during a 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Indonesia and the Iraqi national team on October 11, 2025.
Indonesia narrowly lost the match 0-1, effectively ending the Garuda squad's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals. However, the spotlight has focused on the post-match incident involving Sumardji and the referee.
According to the official FIFA Disciplinary Committee report, Sumardji was found to have committed a serious offense by attacking Ma Ning from behind. The incident occurred as the referee was about to issue a red card to Indonesian player Shayne Pattynama. In the verdict, FIFA stated that Sumardji aggressively lunged at and pushed the referee, causing him to fall to his back.
"After the match, the defendant attacked the referee by lunging at him from behind and pushing him aggressively and roughly, causing him to fall to the ground," wrote the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, as quoted by Skor.id. It also stated that before being separated by other players, Sumardji continued his actions.
In response to the incident, Ma Ning immediately issued a red card to Sumardji, who was then the manager of the Indonesian national team. During the disciplinary hearing, Sumardji did not deny the charges and presented no evidence in his defense.
FIFA deemed the action a violation of Article 14 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code concerning assaults on match officials. Under these regulations, violations against match officials are punishable by a minimum of a 15-match suspension from the team.
However, FIFA imposed a more severe penalty. Sumardji was suspended for 20 matches and banned from participating in any Indonesian national team activities during the suspension period. He was also fined 15,000 Swiss Francs (approximately Rp324 million), which must be paid within 30 days of the decision being announced.
If the fine is not paid within the specified time limit or if further violations occur, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has the right to impose additional sanctions. Sumardji and the PSSI are known to have filed an appeal, but FIFA rejected the request and upheld the entire penalty.
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