The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has announced sanctions against former Liga 1 Champions Persib Bandung, following the unfortunate death of a supporter during their clash with arch-rivals Persela Lamongan, as reported by Football Tribe Indonesia.
Widely known as Indonesia’s ‘El Classico,’ the rivalry between these two sides is considered to be the most intense in the nation. The latest addition of this iconic fixture was recently played on Sunday, September 23rd at Persib’s “Bandung Lautan Api Stadium.” Set to the backdrop of an enthralling title race in Liga 1, the hype and excitement around this encounter was unparalleled.
However, the intense hatred between the two sets of supporters soured, boiling over into a horrific affair which resulted in the death of a Persela supporter. The PSSI acted swiftly to cancel the Liga 1’s upcoming fixtures as they devised sanctions against the 2014 Liga 1 Champions.
The nation has been grappling with a history of supporter tragedies, and fans across the country called upon the PSSI to take a stronger stance against Persib in hoping of quell the violence and danger that has become far too prevalent in the Indonesian game.
Yesterday, the PSSI announced their proposed sanctions against Persib. They mandate that the club will play their remaining home fixtures this season in Kalimantan, and supporters will be barred entry until halfway through the 2019 season. The association has also called upon Persib supporters to eradicate any forms of hate speech towards rivals clubs in their chants, banners and unofficial merchandise.
However, as the club still has the opportunity to appeal the decision, it is unclear whether or not all of these punishments will fully befall the club.
The league is set to resume on Friday, October 5th.
Translated and adapted from Football Tribe Indonesia