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Indonesia weeks away from international ban

Nugraha Besoes told Reuters that if the PSSI failed to curtail the three-month old Indonesian Premier League (LPI) by the end of May, world governing body FIFA had warned it the national team could be banned.

"If it (LPI) is still going on (after May) FIFA will ban us and we will be stranded," Besoes said in a telephone interview.

"Yes, they should think more of them because if they (LPI) still want to keep their own position it might create dangers for our international football. We could not participate in any international event (or) even play any friendly matches."

"How do we do that? Because it is not easy," Besoes said before expressing concern for the players in the LPI who he said may well join the ISL if the rogue league closes.

"We talk of the players especially. How we want to put them in our organisation. We don't care about the referees, we don't care about the managers, we are very concerned about the players."

"They (FIFA) didn't mention that," Besoes said. "The names (of candidates being) not eligible is not in the letter, I don't know why (this was said)."

"The past is already the past," Besoes said. "He is a good person, not that I am supporting somebody no, but I know how he has been working for the PSSI."