August 4 – Eight months after a match-fixing scandal in Indonesian domestic football featuring PSS Sleman and PSIS Semarang, PSS players have spoken out about what happened.
The fixture on October 26 last year that ended with a 3-2 victory by PSS but the authorities were quick to launch an investigation after suggestions the game had been rigged.
Several players, coaches and officials of both teams were punished but the incident recently surfaced again during a discussion forum held by the Indonesian Supporters Discussion Forum (FDSI).
Four PSS players explained how they were forced into throwing the game by management to avoid being leader of their league so they would not have to face powerful Borneo FC in the race for promotion to the Indonesia Super League, the top division.
“We [the players] were blamed,” said one player identified only as Satrio, “but we were the victims.”
The players, according to Satrio, initially refused to obey the instruction – saying they had prepared hard. Another player who addressed the forum wearing a mask and a hat, told the forum he has been summoned by the management at halftime.
“In the locker room, the manager told me to create an own goal so we could avoid Borneo FC,” he said. He initially rejected the request but said he was coerced into scoring an own goal. “I really regret doing that. I honestly did not mean to score an own goal,” he said.
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