By David Gold
May 27 – Three people have reportedly been killed with five others badly injured in violent clashes following a heated match in the rebel Indonesia Super League.
Rocks and bricks were thrown between fans as the fighting erupted following the game between hosts Persija Jakarta and Persib Bandung which finished 2-2.
A crowd of 80,000 attended the match at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta (pictured top).
It is the latest crowd tragedy at the 88-capacity arena following the deaths of two people in a stampede last year when Indonesia played Malaysia in the Southeast Asian Games.
Comr Rikwanto, the public relations head of the Jakarta police, defended his organisation’s role in handling the disaster.
“There were 1,524 personnel at the game,” he said.
“The crime scene location was actually in a patrol way, but there were no patrol officers there at that time.”
He added that the police will “conduct meetings between the two clubs and see if we need to divert games.”
It is the latest incident to mar Indonesian football following much-publicised in-fighting at the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).
Indonesia earlier this year narrowly escaped a ban from FIFA, world football’s governing body, following the creation of the rebel Super League.
The PSSI failed to prevent the breakaway and players participating have been excluded from appearing for Indonesia’s national team.
A weakened Indonesia lost 10-0 to Bahrain earlier this year in a humiliating Asian group World Cup qualifier which has subsequently been investigated by FIFA following the unusual scoreline.
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