PSSI announces changes to the playoff system
PSSI announces changes to the playoff system
JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI)
announced yesterday changes to the post-league playoff format to
give the national team more time to prepare for the 2nd Tiger
Cup.
Federation spokesman Tondo Widodo said the changes would shave
10 days off the original competition schedule this season.
But the organization will maintain the same number of teams
qualifying for the playoff. The four top teams in each of the
three regional divisions will go through to the playoffs,
scheduled to begin on June 14.
Unlike the original plan, the qualifiers will be split into
four groups, in which they will play the other two teams both
home and away.
The top team in each group will make it to the semifinals to
be played at the Senayan Stadium on July 9. The semifinal match-
up will be decided by a draw.
The final will be held at the same venue on July 11.
According to the original plan, the 12 qualifiers would have
been divided into three groups, with the top team in each group
playing triangular, round-robin matches for the championship
trophy.
Tondo played down criticism yesterday that the federation
lacked consistency by always making changes for short-term
objectives.
"The new playoff system has been unanimously approved by all
the 31 clubs competing in the league," Tondo said. "We are just
trying to apply a fairer and more practical system."
He said he was not certain whether the new system would be
maintained next season.
"There have been nontechnical matters forcing us to change the
format of the playoff, including the General Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly," he said.
The five-yearly session lasted only 11 days early last month,
but it forced a one-month break of the league until March 22.
National team coach Rusdy Bahalwan complained that he would be
pressed for time to prepare for the Tiger Cup if the current plan
remained unchanged.
The Tiger Cup finals, to be held in Indonesia, will kick off
on Aug. 26. Eight Southeast Asian countries will compete in the
tournament.
Also yesterday the federation announced a Rp 5 million
(US$666) fine imposed on defending champion Persebaya of Surabaya
for its failure to control its supporters when it hosted Persija
of Jakarta at the 10 November Stadium on March 29.
The fine must be paid by the end of this month.
Persebaya was found guilty of letting too many supporters into
the 37,000-seat stadium. The fanatic home fans broke down two
fences and spilled onto the pitch, forcing 200 security personnel
to be deployed to maintain the order.
"We cannot tolerate the host's failure to allow a huge number
of the home crowd to invade the pitch," Tondo said. (emf)