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Second tear-gassing prompts new PSSI chief to form hooliganism committee
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Football fans clash with police personnel in Semarang, Central Java, on Feb. 17. (Antara/Antara Photo)
J
ust one day after the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) welcomed its new chief on Thursday, soccer fans clashed with the police outside Jatidiri Stadium in Central Java.
Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd trying to enter a closed-door match between PSIS Semarang and Persis Solo on Friday, four months after the country suffered the deadly Kanjuruhan Stadium stampede.
The incident prompted new PSSI chief Erick Thohir to create an ad-hoc committee to involve supporters in ongoing efforts to reform soccer in Indonesia. Erick, who is also the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) minister, said addressing hooliganism remained one of his top priorities.
“To transform [Indonesian] soccer, we also need to involve supporters [...] We have to make sure fans can go home safely. But if we want to properly reform our soccer [culture], they must also take responsibility," Erick said following a PSSI meeting on Saturday.
'Miscommunication'
Local police had decided the day before the Friday match between PSIS Semarang and Persis Solo that it would be closed to the public, under the authority of a new set of protocols introduced after the Kanjuruhan tragedy in October 2022.
