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Jakarta Post

Fans, expert OK with soccer league delay but warn against further postponement

Dicky Christanto  (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, October 1, 2020

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Fans, expert OK with soccer league delay but warn against further postponement

D

espite the National Police’s decision not to issue a permit for Indonesia’s top-tier and second-tier soccer leagues, Liga 1 and 2, to resume on Thursday, a sport expert and a fan coordinator said they were fine with the move but expected strict health protocols to safeguard all soccer stakeholders once the leagues kicked off.

“This hasn’t been an easy decision for all soccer stakeholders to digest, but given the escalating COVID-19 pandemic, we must prioritize people’s lives. Hopefully, we all can see the leagues play again in November,” Djoko Pekik Irianto, a sports expert from Yogyakarta State University, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He then expected the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and organizers to use the time to perfect a strict health protocol in order to safeguard all soccer stakeholders, including spectators  if they are allowed to come to stadiums, prior, during and after the leagues, once they start. 

“Pak Iwan could use his influence as a retired police general to talk some sense into former colleagues to allow the leagues to restart in November, but in return he must be all-out in implementing strict health protocol,” Djoko said, referring to PSSI chief Comr. Gen. (ret) Mohammad Iriawan.

He acknowledged that disciplined behavior had never been the soccer community’s forte, but said there was no option but to resume the leagues once the situation was favorable.

“There will be a tough call to make, as discipline has never been our people’s strength, but we need to try for the sake of all soccer stakeholders,” Djoko said.

The coordinator of the Indonesian National Team Spectators Association, Ignatius Indro, on the other hand, appeared convinced that soccer fans could be taught some discipline as part of the health protocol, as long as the protocol was properly communicated. 

“This time, the PSSI and organizers should employ a better communication strategy, especially with soccer fans, to avoid any misunderstandings that might lead into unfavorable situations,” he said.

A clear and simple campaign on heeding the protocol, he recommended, should be frequently communicated to soccer fans. 

“Soccer fans have enough maturity to comprehend the protocol, as long as they are being properly communicated. This kind of strategy has often been missing in the past,” Indro said.

When asked what would happen if the police were forced to again withhold the permit due to COVID-19 in November, Indro said it would be catastrophic for all stakeholders. The absence of both leagues, he went on, would generally demotivate all players and participating clubs.

Let alone the merchandise industry, he added, which involved many small and medium enterprises. 

“The government needs to think about this too. These people would hit rock bottom very hard. I really hope that we will never come to that decision,” Indro said.

Earlier, as reported by the Kompas daily, some soccer figures expressed regret over the postponement, saying it had ruined the momentum for the country’s soccer to restart.

Indonesian Professional Soccer Players Association general manager Ponario Astaman was among those protesting voices, lamenting the delay and saying it was worse than FIFA’s 2015 decision to cancel all leagues due to conflict between the PSSI and the government. 

“During FIFA’s punishment period, the players could still play. This time, we can’t do anything.”

Earlier, Iriawan had said November would be the last moment for the PSSI and organizers to complete the 2020-2021 season properly.

“There will be too many obstacles for the PSSI to restart the leagues later than November. We will face some public holidays, like the Ramadan fasting month in April, and we will also be hosting the U-20 World Cup tournaments from May to June,” the PSSI chief told journalists in a press conference earlier.

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