PSSI measures force teams to play without spectators
PSSI measures force teams to play without spectators
JAKARTA (JP): All spectators and reporters will be barred from watching the next league matches of both Yogyakarta's PSIM and Surabaya's Persebaya, the All Indonesia Football Federation (PSSI) announced on Saturday.
"Not just spectators but reporters too will have to stay out. However, results will be made available right after the matches," Max Boboy, the league's match administrator, told reporters.
He was quoted by Kompas yesterday saying that the PSSI disciplinary commission would formally notify both PSIM and Persebaya about the decision today.
According to Boboy, each team will be allowed to bring 19 players and six officials plus a referee, two linesmen, match inspectors, security guards, a medical team and the match administration committee which he chairs.
The decision is one of the disciplinary measures imposed by PSSI on the two teams, whose fans were recently involved in a riot which led to the death of Persebaya supporter Suhermansyah during their match in Yogyakarta, PSIM's home base, on Jan. 28.
The announcement serves as a reinforcement for a previous punishment and requires them to play their first home matches 200 kilometers away from their bases when the Indonesian soccer league resumes after the end of the fasting month in March.
If everything goes on according to the PSSI schedule, empty seats will witness PSIM taking on South Sulawesi's PSM Ujung Pandang in the Lebak Bulus stadium in South Jakarta on March 12, at 3.30 p.m. and Persebaya facing home rivals Mitra Surabaya on March 15 in the Citarum stadium in Semarang, Central Java, scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m.
The announcement, however, has sparked debate among the involved parties. Firstly for financial reasons and secondly for regional pride, both Mitra Surabaya and Persebaya wanted the match to be held in Jember, East Java, which is much nearer to their bases in Surabaya.
"If the public is barred from watching the game, what's the point of requiring us playing in a place as far as Semarang?" Persebaya's secretary Paul Tahalele was quoted as saying by Jawa Pos yesterday. Tahalele added Persebaya would send a team to formally bargain with PSSI about the location.
Given that Mitra is scheduled to challenge their other home rivals, Assyaabaab SGS, at home on March 19, four days after it takes on Persebaya, the traveling might affect the players' stamina, Mitra's spokesman, Agil Ali, was reported by Antara as saying on Saturday. Ali also suggested spectators be allowed to watch the match for free.
PSIM, according to a report in the Jawa Pos, said it actually preferred to play in closer cities such as West Java's Cimahi or Cirebon, but that it would not protest the decision. (arf)