By David Gold
February 11 – Uncertainty surrounds an Asian Champions League qualifier between Adelaide United of Australia and Indonesia’s Persipura, who were reinstated in the competition by a provisional Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) judgement.
Persipura are involved in a dispute with the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) as one of the teams in the country who have formed a breakaway league.
FIFA have ordered the PSSI to rein in the breakaway league, and have threatened to take action against them if the situation is not resolved by March 20.
As a result of the conflict, the PSSI opted to remove the club from the Champions League and requested that Persija Jakarta take their place.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) rejected that request, instead granting Adelaide automatic entry to the group stage of the Champions League.
Persipura appealed to CAS and they provisionally ruled that they should be able to compete in the qualifying tie with Adelaide, despite the club’s dispute with the PSSI.
That would appear to contradict FIFA’s position as world football’s governing body says that no players playing in the breakaway league should be able to compete for Indonesia’s national team in international competitions or be transferred abroad.
The final CAS ruling will determine whether Persipura can continue to participate in the competition.
Adelaide have released a statement expressing their confidence that they will be reinstated into the group stage but are prepared to play the qualifying tie until a final decision is made.
Persipura said after the CAS ruling that justice had been done, though AFC have the option of postponing the qualifier, due to take place next week, until after a final ruling.
Contact the writer of this story at zib.l1734805260labto1734805260ofdlr1734805260owedi1734805260sni@d1734805260log.d1734805260ivad1734805260
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