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Football chiefs delay 'risky' rematch between Arema and Persebaya
The October 2022 derby match in Malang, East Java, between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya saw 135 spectators killed, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd. Home side Arema lost the match 3-2.
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Residents and football supporters offer prayers to remember the victims of the stampede outside the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java on October 3, 2022. Anger against police mounted in Indonesia on October 3 after at least 125 people were killed in one of the deadliest disasters in the history of football, when officers fired tear gas in a packed stadium, triggering a stampede.
(AFP/Juni Kriswanto)
T
he rematch of a soccer game that ended in one of the sport's worst stadium stampedes has been postponed due to the risk of further crowd trouble, police said on Thursday.
The October 2022 derby match in Malang, East Java, between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya saw 135 spectators killed, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd. Home side Arema lost the match 3-2.
Although their next league meeting was due to be played behind closed doors on Sunday, Sr. Comr. Dirmanto, a spokeperson for East Java police, said it was deemed high risk as the clubs "have a history of rivalry".
Dirmanto said authorities recommended Sunday's return fixture be held outside East Java and without fans, because of risks including crowd trouble.
"Persebaya and Arema supporters have a high history of rivalry," said Dirmanto.
Yahya Alkatiri, manager of home side Persebaya said the game was due to be held in nearby Gresik, but police permission to host it was denied. They could not play in Surabaya because of ongoing stadium upgrades for the Under-20 World Cup in May.
"This was a match fraught with risks," Yahya told Reuters, adding scuffles could happen outside the stadium.
Fans were banned from attending football matches after the league resumed in December, having been cancelled entirely in the disaster's aftermath, but some have since been allowed back in at select games.
Persebaya failed to secure another venue and asked for the game to be rescheduled, according to a press release by the country's premier league, known as BRI Liga 1.
The fact that Persebaya's stadium is undergoing repairs -- ahead of hosting matches for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in May -- was another factor, said Dirmanto.
Liga 1 said it would announce a new date for the match soon.
Indonesian soccer has long been blighted by problems, including match-fixing scandals and crowd trouble between rival supporters, which has resulted in some matches being played behind closed doors.
At another game in Central Java last month, police used tear gas to stop fans from forcibly entering a stadium during a closed-doors derby match.
Investigators concluded the main cause of the crush that killed 135 people last year was excessive and indiscriminate use of tear gas, which world governing body FIFA bans as a crowd control measure.
