Indonesia Suffers from Soccer Crisis

Persistent fatal violence among soccer fans has plunged Indonesia into a soccer crisis. The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has decided to temporarily cease the Go-Jek Liga 1 championships following the death of a soccer fan recently.

KOMPAS/ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI

Relatives and neighbors pray on Monday (24/9/2018) over the grave of Sirla Haringga, 23, in Kebulen village of Jatibarang district, Indramayu regency, West Java. Sirla, a supporter of the Persija Jakarta football team, was killed when supporters of the rival team, Persib, assaulted him before the Persija-Persib match on Sunday (23/9) in the Go-Jek Liga 1 competition at Bandung Lautan Api Stadium in Bandung.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The death of Haringga Sirla, a 23-year-old fan of Jakarta’s Persija soccer club, on Sunday (23/9/2018), should serve as a wake-up call for improvements to Indonesian soccer. Many support the decision to temporary cease Liga 1, Indonesia’s premier soccer league, to give ample time for all stakeholder to find the best solution to end the persistent problem of fan violence.

Chair Haedar Nashir of Indonesia’s second-largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, said fan violence in Indonesian soccer had reached an alarming level. Supporters often act violently, sometimes ending with lost lives, seemingly without any regret.

Research by soccer watchdog Save Our Soccer found that at least Indonesian 70 soccer fans had died in violent brawls since 1995. Some 70 percent of the incidents took place in the last decade. In the past year, at least seven lives have been lost in soccer-related violence.

“Where do we wish to bring our soccer [league] if violent acts take place regularly? It’s time to take firm action for the sake of future generations in [Indonesian soccer],” Haedar said on Tuesday.

Haedar said he had asked the PSSI and the Youth and Sports Ministry to take firm and courageous action to cut off the chain of violence in soccer. “With regular action and patchwork approach, violent incidents will keep reoccurring,” he said.

President Joko Widodo also voiced his regret over the brutal assault that led to Haringga’s death at the hands of several supporters of Bandung’s Persib soccer club ahead of a match between Persib and Persija on Sunday. He said that all relevant stakeholders should sit down together and find a solution to end fan violence.

“Sports uphold sportsmanship and such violent acts must stop. Fanaticism must not be excessive and lead to criminal acts,” the President said.

Liga 1 temporary cease

In response to Haringga’s death, the PSSI has decided to temporarily cease all Liga 1 matches until further notice. The decision was made in a special meeting session of PSSI’s Executive Committee on Tuesday evening. Currently, Liga 1 is on its second week in a 34-week season. Persib is currently on top of club standings.

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Edy Rahmayadi

“This move aims to show deep concern as well as to express our condolences to [Haringga’s] family. Everyone should calm down and then think clearly. Give us time to coordinate with [Liga 1 operator] PT Liga, clubs and supporters. We will immediately hold thorough discussions,” PSSI chair Edy Rahmayadi said.

Edy promised that the PSSI would find the best solution and come up with a standard operational procedure to minimize fan violence in soccer matches. However, he said, the PSSI would not be able to work alone in resolving the complex issue. “We will coordinate with the Youth and Sports Ministry, the Indonesian Professional Sports Body (BOPI), the National Sports Committee (KONI) and the police. With [improper] diagnosis, such incidents may happen again,” Edy said.

This is the second time Indonesia’s premier soccer league was temporarily ceased mid-season since 2015. That year, the Indonesia Super League (ISL) – as Liga 1 was known at the time – was canceled mid-season due to conflict between the PSSI and the government related to clubs’ legality and professionalism. The incident led to a PSSI freeze by FIFA.

The difference this time around is that many, including the Indonesian Professional Footballers Association (APPI), support the premier league’s temporary ceasing of matches. “We have agreed not to play until a peace declaration by supporters. The declaration is to ensure that no violent incidents will happen again,” APPI vice president Andritany Ardhyasa said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Madura United soccer club president Achsanul Qosasi said with the move, the PSSI and other stakeholders could focus on finding solutions to the problem. “This is an extraordinary incident. The PSSI and operators should not use regular ways to solve it,” Achsanul said.

With regard to possible punishment, apart from official sanction in the form point reduction, Save Our Soccer coordinator Akmal Marhali said that he would propose that Indonesia took lessons from how the United Kingdom eradicated its soccer hooliganism. The country, known as the birthplace of modern soccer, was once overwhelmed by hooliganism in the 1980s.

The enactment of the Football Spectators Act in 1989 drastically reduced hooliganism in the country.

(NTA/LAS/JON/TAM/IGA/SEM/E19)