Sentenced to One Year, Yuran Fernandes Flooded with Support

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — PSM Makassar played their opening match without central defender and main captain, Yuran Fernandes, who was sanctioned with a one-year playing ban, defeating Malut United 3-2 on Saturday (10/5/2025) at the Gelora BJ Habibie Stadium, Parepare, South Sulawesi. PSM coach Bernardo Tavares believes that Yuran's punishment further emphasizes the lack of impartiality in the national competition towards his players.

According to Tavares, Yuran's punishment is very unreasonable. Moreover, the player from Cape Verde received a heavy sanction from the PSSI Disciplinary Commission due to his comments on social media. Regarding his comments about the refereeing in the PSM versus PSS Sleman match on May 3, Yuran has already apologized to PT Liga Indonesia Baru as the operator of the national professional competition.

However, the apology did not affect the considerations of the PSSI Disciplinary Committee. Yuran was sentenced to a ban on competing in Indonesia for 12 months, or one year, and a fine of Rp 25 million.

The punishment for the 30-year-old defender refers to Article 59 of the PSSI Disciplinary Code on insulting behavior and the application of the principle of fair play. In the regulation, only a minimum punishment of three months and a fine of Rp 25 million is listed.

"I have worked on three continents, including North Korea, and such a punishment has never occurred in a situation like Yuran. The players do not deserve this punishment. Please also respect PSM Makassar, as we feel that the referee's mistakes always favor one team. We," said Tavares at the press conference following the match.

We will take a formal appeal according to the mechanism (through the Appeals Commission).

He added, "I respect the referee. However, I also scored 20 or the highest on the UEFA Pro Coaching License test for the rules of the game. I can assess whether they are doing the right thing or not."

Yuran is an important figure for the defense of "Juku Eja" since winning the Liga 1 trophy in the 2022-2023 season up to the present. In the 2024-2025 season, Yuran has appeared in 29 matches, scoring five goals and providing six assists.

He also helped PSM bring honor to Indonesia through the ASEAN Club Championship 2024-2025. Yuran scored the only goal in the first semifinal match of the competition against Cong An Ha Noi in Parepare, although PSM was ultimately eliminated due to a 1-2 aggregate loss.

PSM CEO Sadikin Aksa revealed that Yuran's punishment has been consulted with the Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir. He mentioned that Erick was also surprised by the duration of the match ban imposed by the PSSI Disciplinary Committee on Yuran, a 30-year-old defender.

"We will take the formal appeal path according to the mechanism (through the Appeals Commission). PSM continues to uphold the spirit of fair play and professionalism while fighting for justice for our players," said Sadikin in a press statement.

In January 2025, PSM was also subjected to a penalty of a three-point deduction and a fine of Rp 90 million due to a case of fielding an excess number of players against Barito Putera on December 28, 2024, by the PSSI Disciplinary Commission. This penalty was annulled by the PSSI Appeals Commission, allowing PSM to officially retain their victory of 3-2.

Not only PSM, but the Indonesian Professional Footballers Association (APPI), which represents players in the Indonesian competition, also objected to the PSSI Disciplinary Commission's punishment of Yuran. APPI President Andritany Ardhiyasa stated that they have communicated with FIFPRO headquarters and FIFPRO Asia/Oceania Division to report the issue concerning Yuran.

"We are coordinating with FIFPRO to report Yuran's issues to FIFA in order to seek and advocate for a fair solution for Yuran," said Andritany, who is also the goalkeeper for Persija Jakarta.

The Vice President of APPI, Achmad Jufriyanto, added that Yuran does not deserve to be punished for his unrest in Liga 1 Indonesia. He stated that Yuran's complaints should serve as a point of introspection for stakeholders in national football.

"The decision of the Komdis has the potential to threaten the freedom of expression of the players. What was posted on his Instagram is a personal expression of disappointment that should serve as a reflection for many parties," said Jufriyanto, a senior defender of Persib Bandung.

Meanwhile, Eko Noer Kristiyanto, a sports law expert, believes that there is no error on the part of the PSSI Disciplinary Committee in interpreting Yuran's actions. Eko stated that the main consideration for the PSSI Disciplinary Committee in imposing a very severe penalty on Yuran was the progressive reasons or the potential impact that could arise from the comments made by the PSM defender.

"The disciplinary committee must certainly refer to the regulations. I believe the disciplinary committee is considering the impact of Yuran's comments. It is inappropriate for a part of the national football family to criticize the competition, as players and coaches can inspire others, which may lead to a crisis of confidence in the national competition," said Eko.

"If the integrity of the competition is already in doubt, it can lead to chaos among the grassroots or supporters. In the future, this will certainly not be good for the development of football in Indonesia," he added.

Amidst these threats, said Eko, supporters and the media remain the parties who must be at the forefront of overseeing national competitions.