Surabaya forms team to face European giant AC Milan
Surabaya forms team to face European giant AC Milan
JAKARTA (JP): Amidst lingering uncertainties, the East Java
soccer authorities have formed an amalgamated team to receive
European soccer giant AC Milan in a planned match in Surabaya
which is still in limbo.
Anton Baroto, chairman of the event's organizing committee,
told newsmen over the weekend that the Surabaya Selection Team
will encompass several players from various Surabayan clubs
including major semi-professional league teams like Assyabaab
Salim Group and Mitra Surabaya.
The match is tentatively scheduled on June 6.
The formation of the Surabayan combined team is apparently
linked with East Java Governor Basofi Sudirman's "request" to the
organizing committee on Saturday to create a selection team to
face AC Milan rather than appointing one specific team.
"We formed this team after hearing the Governor's advice,"
Anton said.
However, the muddle regarding the organization of the event
itself is not yet solved.
The fiasco following AC Milan's tour to Surabaya is largely
caused by the fact the star-studded European team was never
originally scheduled to play there in the first place.
June 4
AC Milan, brought to Indonesia by A & E Sports Communications,
was only planned to play on June 4 in Senayan Stadium against
Persib Bandung. Persib is the three-time champion of the inter-
city amateur club.
However, since the Italian team had offered to play a second
match, A & E proposed to bring them to Surabaya to play in Gelora
Tambaksari stadium, which is only capable of accommodating about
35,000 spectators
The Senayan stadium, in comparison, seats more than 100,000
fans.
The stadium was the venue for the friendly match between
Milan's rival Sampdoria and League Selection and was attended by
more than 120,000 soccer crazed fans on May 8.
Many observers, including the Sport and Youth Affairs
Minister, had aired skepticisms whether the friendly match can be
held safely.
Kedawung Setia Indonesia (KSI), a local Surabaya soccer team,
was finally appointed last week to manage the match with the
regional chapter of the PSSI (All Indonesia Soccer Federation).
They were appointed after Persebaya, the leading team in
Surabaya, unexpectedly declined to organize the event.
The committee claimed that they have covered all financial
obligations and, in cooperation with A & E, will provide 1,000
security officers.
Governor Basofi, however, had said that he had not received
any proposals from KSI and A&E Sport Communications about their
preparations as of Saturday. (hdj)