Persib Bandung offered $25,000 to beat Milan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A sum of US$25,000 is far from enormous in the
\nhigh-flying world of international soccer, but could represent a
\npriceless victory to the inter-city amateur champion Persib
\nBandung.<\/p>\n
This amount is on offer from the Italian champion AC Milan to
\nany squad which beats it during its summer tour.<\/p>\n
The European champion and Serie A champion for three years
\nrunning will tackle Persib in exhibition soccer at Senayan
\nstadium on June 4. The match will be Milan's first stop on its
\nworld challenge tour in Asia. Milan will move on to India, China
\nand Japan.<\/p>\n
\"The cash prize is offered as a guarantee that each Milan
\nfriendly match will be a qualified one,\" said promoter Eddy
\nSofyan yesterday. Eddy said the soccer giant, owned by Italian
\nPrime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, will bring eight of the players
\nwho powered the way to a 4-0 drubbing of Spanish champions
\nBarcelona in the Champions Cup in Athens last week.<\/p>\n
Eddy, a well-known TV soccer commentator, confirmed that
\nadditional players from other sides will join Milan. Udinese's
\nUruguayan star Enzo Francescoli will be included in Milan's 51
\nperson entourage. Some of the additional players have signed for
\nMilan in the next season.<\/p>\n
Persib, which is currently undergoing rigorous training in
\npreparation for the match, will field the line-up that captured
\nlast month's national championship, with former Indonesian
\ninternational Robby Darwis at the helm.<\/p>\n
Eddy said the organizers have agreed to pay $265,000 as
\nMilan's appearance fee. The funds excluded transportation and
\naccommodation expenses for Fabio Capello's men. The Bandung side,
\nin marked contrast, will receive Rp 15 million ($7,000), only one
\nfifth as much it bagged when it won the championship last month.<\/p>\n
Eddy said he will also provide extra funds to help Persib
\ntrain. He declined to mention the amount.<\/p>\n
Low fee<\/p>\n
Suparjo Poncowinoto, secretary general of the All Indonesia
\nFootball Association (PSSI), said the match fee paid to the
\nnational champions is lower than he expected.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why Persib accepted the deal,\" he said. Suparjo,
\nhowever, refused to say that PSSI would recommend a higher price
\nfor Persib. \"It is a very rare occasion for Persib to tackle a
\ndream team,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PSSI named Persib as Milan's opposing side as soon as Eddy
\nclosed the deal with the Italian champions.<\/p>\n
Eddy said Milan had proposed extending its Indonesian trip
\nwith another friendly at Surabaya, East Java on June 6. The
\nItalian side is still waiting for a response.<\/p>\n
\"I will discuss this sudden proposal with Surabaya this
\nevening. Everything will be clear tomorrow,\" said Eddy. He said
\nhe would need a guarantee from Governor Basofi Soedirman that the
\nmatch would run safely.<\/p>\n
Eddy expressed pessimism about contesting a big match in the
\ncapital of East Java, saying that the city has a stadium which
\nhas only around 35,000 to 45,000, compared to Senayan's 100,000.<\/p>\n
No less than 1,500 security officials, including 900 policemen
\nand 500 personnel from the National Army, will be deployed at the
\nJune 4 match. PSSI will ban any street vendors from the stadium.<\/p>\n
\"The crowd will easily use plastic bottles of drinking water
\nto disrupt the match,\" Suparjo said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Agence of France Press (AFP) reported that the
\nProfessional Soccer Federation of Western Australia canceled
\nMilan's visit for a match against the Australian national side.<\/p>\n
Chief executive Ian Holmes cited the reason as the track
\nrecord of soccer promotion in the area, notably the collapse of
\nan organization called Global Football which backed the recently
\nformed Perth Kangaroos side playing in the Singapore Premier
\nLeague. (amd)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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