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View all search resultsU-23 coach says ready to take responsibility if match-fixing allegation true
The coach of the Indonesian U-23 soccer team, Aji Santoso, has said he is ready to take responsibility if the team was proven to have been involved in match fixing in its seminal match in the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore
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T
he coach of the Indonesian U-23 soccer team, Aji Santoso, has said he is ready to take responsibility if the team was proven to have been involved in match fixing in its seminal match in the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.
'I guarantee that the allegation is entirely untrue. Anyone can go ahead and talk to me about it. I'm 1,000 percent ready to take responsibility if it truly happened,' he said as quoted by Antara on Wednesday.
The coach made the comment in a statement released by the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) media team in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Aji called on Indonesians to respect the U-23 team, which he said had struggled to win matches during the SEA Games.
'You should pity them. They played hard and yet you accuse them with a shameful allegation,' he said.
The coach, who hails from Malang, East Java, said the U-23 national team's defeat was caused more by technical problems, including the team's poor preparation.
'The team only had 20 days to prepare while Thailand prepared for it in Australia for six months. So don't compare it with us,' said Aji.
He went on to say that all U-23 team players spent their time together and so it was unlikely that any of them had met with outsiders individually.
Similarly, PSSI deputy chairman Erwin Dwi Budiawan said he was optimistic that no member of the national team would be found to have been involved in match fixing.
'I know them all. I'm certain none of them was involved. I don't find the recording [of alleged match fixing] convincing. I trust that the players on the national team fought hard during the SEA Games,' Aji said.
The alleged fixing of matches during national and international events by the national team was reported to the National Police's crime investigation division by someone identified only as BS, as a player involved in match fixing.
'BS could get between Rp 30 million [US$2,250] and Rp 35 million for each match,' said Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) advocacy team member Asep Komarudin.
Accompanied by representatives of a number of legal aid institutions, BS reported to the police that match fixing had occurred in Indonesian soccer matches from as far back as 2000. (ebf)(+++)
