MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is mulling to extend the sanctions imposed by the Cebu Football Association (CFA) on the personalities involved in the free-for-all melee that ensued last Sunday in the 16th Aboitiz Cup men’s under-18 tournament.
PFF Secretary-General Ed Gastanes said the country’s governing body just received the full report of CFA last Friday where they imposed a six-month ban on both coaches and several players of the two teams involved in the “footbrawl†that has gone viral on social media with the photo of a spectator bludgeoning the head of one of the players.
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The melee broke out in the 37th minute of the match between Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Alcoy FC.
“We have not received any request from CFA to extend the sanctions but if they make a request to extend the sanctions, then PFF will be acting on it quite swiftly and properÂly,†Gastanes told reporters during the turnover ceremony of 5,500 indestructible footballs to the country’s football governing body from the Asian Football Confederation social responsibility department led by program development unit head Dr. Annathurai Ranganathan.
The PFF is likewise intetested to know what will CFA’s sanctions on the spectators that joined the melee. Gastanes, who is also a lawyer by profession, said that Cebu’s football body can make a request Sunday once a board meeting is set.
"We regret that such thing happened," Gastanes said. "But we hope we all learn from this."