FAM will come down hard on JDT official if found guilty

PETALING JAYA: A lengthy 12-month ban and a RM8,000 fine – that’s the punishment most likely to be meted out on the high-ranking Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) official if he is found guilty of assaulting a T-Team player during their FA Cup second round match at the Larkin Stadium on Saturday.

The ban and fine are based on Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) disciplinary code.

It was reported that T-Team’s Brazilian striker Evaldo Goncalves was punched in the face by a JDT official while T-Team fitness coach Stefano Impagliazzo was kicked in the groin during a fracas when the teams were trooping back to the changing room at the end of the first half. JDT were leading 2-1 at that time.

The visiting team refused to come out for the second half for security reasons and left the stadium in a haste.

Match commissioner Zainal Mukri then postponed the match until further notice.

FAM general secretary Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin promised that stern action will be taken once they receive the match commissioner’s report on Monday.

“We will get the match commissioner’s report on Monday ... the competitions committee will hold a meeting on Thursday to decide on the outcome of the match,” said Hamidin on Sunday.

“We will refer the case to the disciplinary committee for action if there’s any breach of discipline.

“We will have to look at the evidence ... we will not compromise if there is misconduct. We have our rules and the guilty party will be punished.”

This is the second time that an FA Cup match has had to be abandoned. Last year, the Pahang-JDT semi-final second clash in Kuantan was called off due to security reasons.

JDT left the match citing security concerns after fans entered the Darul Makmur Stadium illegally through a broken gate and spilled on to the pitch.

The match was later replayed at a neutral ground – the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil.