The President of the Indonesian Football Association unexpectedly speaks out amid allegations accusing Malaysia of filing a complaint to FIFA

Erick Thohir, President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), rejects claims that Indonesia filed a petition with FIFA about Malaysia’s football naturalization controversy and urges collaboration within the region.

The President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, has officially addressed the accusations suggesting he was involved in submitting a complaint to FIFA concerning Malaysia’s naturalization scandal. Speaking in Jakarta on February 20, he affirmed that the circulating information is inaccurate.

Previously, some sources indicated that Indonesia was connected to accusing seven Malaysian naturalized players including Joao Figueiredo, Jon Irazabal, Hector Hevel, Facundo Garces, Imanol Machuca, Gabriel Palmero, and Rodrigo Holgado. However, multiple reports stated the initial complaint was believed to have originated from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), although the official identity of the complainant remains unclear.

In response to Indonesian media, Erick Thohir emphasized: "Yes, that is definitely untrue". He completely denied that Indonesia filed any accusations or interfered in matters related to Malaysian football.

Furthermore, the PSSI leader questioned the logic behind these allegations: "I wonder, why would we interfere in the development of another country when we need to support each other?". According to him, Southeast Asian football requires cooperation rather than internal conflict.

He also stressed the shared developmental direction of the region: "That is why we simultaneously improve our own quality. Because if our football does not get better, naturally we will continue to lose to European and Latin American teams". This viewpoint shows Indonesia’s focus on strengthening its own capabilities instead of getting involved in disputes.

On Malaysia’s side, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) was sanctioned by FIFA at the end of 2025 for using players accused of possessing forged documents. The subsequent appeal was rejected by FIFA’s Appeal Committee. Currently, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is awaiting the final ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before making further decisions regarding the eligibility of the seven players in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.