The Disciplinary Committee of the Football Association stressed that the solidarity of the players with humanitarian cases, by raising pictures and slogans during official matches in the Arab Gulf League, subject them to punishment, noting that they applied the regulations and the law of the game in its past penalties imposed on the four players, namely: Al Ain Togolese striker Lapa Kudjo, the star of the unit, Sebastian Tigali, and his teammates Ismail Matar and Khamis Ismail, although their behavior was covered by human nature, especially when the two last raised a picture of the world basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash.
The deputy head of the Discipline Committee, the official spokesman, Counselor Hamdan Al-Zyoudi, confirmed that what these players have done is against the law of the game, and he told «Emirates Today» that “the four players are international, and they fully realize and know with certainty that such actions are against the law The game approved by the International Federation and the Asian Football Association, pointing out that “whoever considers such matters a humanitarian act is a matter for him, but in the end the committee applies the law, in order to fill any other problems that may occur, because if we condone these matters It would be against the law of the game. ”
The Disciplinary Committee had punished the Togolese Al Ain player Laba Kudjo by fining him 1000 dirhams, after having scored the first goal of his team in the net of Kalba, in the first round of the league, to raise a shirt bearing the image of a person, which was later mentioned during the report submitted by the referee of the match to the disciplinary committee as being his deceased father .
The committee also punished the Al-Wahda Tigali player by directing a 1000 dirham attracted to him, for lifting a shirt bearing a picture of sympathy during one of his cases, after he scored a goal against Bani Yas during the two teams match in the third round of the Arab Gulf League.
Al-Wahda players Ismail Matar and Khamis Ismail were also punished by directing each other's attention and fining them 1,000 dirhams, for lifting a shirt after Al-Wahda scored the second goal in the Fujairah team’s goal, during the two teams ’match in the 14th round of the Arab Gulf League, in solidarity with the basketball legend, the late American Kobe Bryant, who died after a helicopter crashed on board with his daughter and seven other individuals.
Hamdan Al-Zyoudi added: “We heard many comments on this subject. Human actions are undoubtedly appreciated, but we cannot say that these actions are humanitarian, as we are on the discipline committee applying strictly defined texts and regulations ».
He continued, "In the event that the committee does not punish those who committed these acts, the matter may develop, and we may find those raising racist slogans or pictures of a certain organization, and that such matters can never be overlooked, because the league is also seen at the international level."
Al-Zayoudi stressed the need to implement regulations and punish any player who violates the law of the game, fearing that such behavior will spread among children in Emirati stadiums.
Hamdan Al-Zyoudi :
- "Whoever considers these matters a human act, this is a matter for him ... The committee applies the law."
- "The four players are international and they realize that such actions are considered a violation."