Hopefully, It Will Be the Last Tragedy

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Mobil terbakar pascakerusuhan di Stadion Kanjuruhan, Kabupaten Malang, Jawa Timur, Minggu (2/10/2022). Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta (BAH)

I am really sad. Being involved again in Indonesian football in the last few weeks I feel like the referee has cheated on me. However, it is not comparable to the tragedy at the Kanjuruhan Stadium.

So many people have lost their lives. And, for what? It is really meaningless. Moreover, it is not the first time. It is really hard to say what is in my heart. No words.

My heart goes out to the victims. The question on everyone's mind, of course, is why did this happen?

The first thing we have to realize is that the tragedy in Malang is not the first riot that has claimed a lot of lives. It has happened too often. This is what makes me unable to stop thinking about why preparation for the match does not anticipate all the possibilities. Is it not predictable, considering that there have been many examples of similar incidents?

Where could the soccer fans go? Of course, there would be a bottleneck at the exit.

The use of tear gas by the authorities is also regrettable, especially the fact that it was sprayed into the stands. Even without having much knowledge as a security and crowd-control expert, I think plain common sense is enough for a person to realize that it is not a wise decision. Where could the soccer fans go? Of course, there would be a bottleneck at the exit.

As a result, thousands of soccer fans headed in the same direction to the exit door and inevitably many victims collapsed and were crushed in the stampede. Again, why? FIFA in security law chapter 19 strictly prohibits the use of tear gas.

As a consequence, Indonesia is facing the risk of severe FIFA sanctions. It would be a shame if that happens, considering that the U-20 World Cup will be held in Indonesia and the senior national team is also doing quite well now.

We cannot just make accusations. There should also be self-introspection. Remember, when pointing with the index finger, three fingers point back at ourselves. In this context, of course, the soccer fans must also look inward.

Fanaticism and shallow thinking make our soccer fans unable to accept defeat. In fact, logically, in a match, of course, there are winners and losers.

Besides needing to learn to accept defeat, the soccer fans must also understand that their favorite clubs and the competition itself exist for the benefit of the Indonesian national team. Business interests, marketing, politics, entertainment etc. are fine as long as there is a deep understanding that primarily, their clubs exist for Indonesia.

That is the big picture. Let us zoom out so we can see the big picture clearly. Get rid of the unwise zoom-in culture.

These are all for a strong national team and for the pride of the nation and the country as a whole. That is the big picture. Let us zoom out so we can see the big picture clearly. Get rid of the unwise zoom-in culture.

My hope is that no more people will lose their lives just because of football. It is not worth even one life.

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

Timo Scheunemann

Timo Scheunemann, soccer Coach who lives in Malang.

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)