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Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir poses after being interviewed by Republika at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Office, Jakarta, Monday (22/9/2025).
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The puzzle of whether the Minister of Youth Sports (Menpora) Erick Thohir will remain at the helm of the Indonesian football federation (PSSI) has finally been solved. The international football federation (FIFA) has sent a letter stating that none of the FIFA Statutes has been violated Erick Thohir as PSSI chairman general.
During a special interview with Republika, Monday (22/9/2025) at the 10th Floor of Kemenpora RI Building, Erick Thohir explained that no statute has been violated from the dual position between the general chairman of PSSI and his position in the government (Kemenpora).
“Just this morning I received a letter from FIFA, as a rule, nothing has been violated with my track record in football. If after 2027 we see, there are already many Dirtek professionals, the refereeing committee, the League is more professional,” he said.
With the letter from FIFA, Erick Thohir is still believed to be the number one man in the Indonesian football federation until at least 2027.
The issue of dual positions between government officials and the chairman of the national football federation often arouses debate. His main concerns are conflicts of interest and government intervention against sports federations.
However, in FIFA rules, the duplication of such positions is not explicitly prohibited.
Two prominent examples are Vitaly Mutko of Russia and Adnan Dirjal of Iraq. Mutko served as Russia's Minister of Youth and Sports from 2008 to 2016 and as chairman of the RFU (Russia's Football Association from 2015 to 2017). Dirjal served as Minister of Youth and Sports from 2020 to 2022 and has been the chairman of the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) since 2021.
FIFA regulations focus on independence, not position. FIFA emphasizes that football federations in each country must be free from political or third-party interference.
This means that federation leaders are elected through a democratic election mechanism in accordance with each federation's statutes, thus maintaining independence in making technical and organizational decisions.
FIFA does not have any rules prohibiting state officials such as ministers, members of parliament, or other public officials from serving as federation presidents. As long as a federation remains independent, there are no automatic sanctions.
