PSM Controversy Plays 12 Players In The Field, Barito Putera Launches Protests

JAKARTA - The controversy occurred in the 16th week of Liga 1 2024/2025 during the PSM Makassar vs Barito Putera match at Batakan Stadium, Balikpapan. In the match on Sunday, December 22, 2024, PSM won the match with a final score of 3-1.

However, after that match, Barito Putera protested strongly. This happened because PSM had played with 12 players on the field.

The situation occurred when in the 90+8 minute, PSM coach Bernardo Tavares made a substitution, Syahrul Lasinari with Fahrul Aditia.

It's just that, during the match, the number of players on the field exceeded what it should have been.

For this controversy, through the club's Instagram official, Barito Putera expressed a protest. In his upload, Laskar Antasari also included a video of evidence and quoted Article 56 and Article 28 of the PSSI Disciplinary Code for the video description.

"Dear, PSSI and League 1. We played against 12 players. There were 12 PSM Makassar players on the field," Barito's official statement on Instagram was quoted as saying Monday, December 23, 2024.

"Based on the PSSI Disciplinary Code, Article 56. If a player who is invalid as in Paragraph 1 plays in an official match, his team will be sentenced to a loss with a point cut (forfeit) in that match in accordance with Article 28 of the PSSI Disciplinary Code and a minimum fine of Rp90,000,000."

"If the unauthorized player is involved in a friendly match, then his team will be sentenced to a 0-3 loss with a point deduction (if applicable) in accordance with Article 28 of this Disciplinary Code and a minimum fine of Rp. 40,000,000," the club said in a statement.

This strong protest was carried out as an effort to emphasize the importance of enforcing the rules in the League 1 competition to maintain fair play and integrity of Indonesian football.

The management of Barito Putera has also sent an official letter submitted to PSSI as a follow-up to the controversy.