TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) chairperson Mochamad Iriawan has finally opened up about the polemic of the BRI Liga 1 match schedule which has become the public spotlight following the tragic incident at Kanjuruhan stadium, Malang, that killed hundreds of people.

The football league operator PT Liga Indonesia Baru indeed rejected the request of the organizing committee to hold the game earlier in the afternoon, instead of at night.

Iriawan said the match schedule was related to the television’s live broadcasts. “This match is related to the industry. We get money from broadcasting rights. They also sell it to sponsors. Otherwise, we don't have money to finance the clubs,” said Iriawan in an interview with Tempo in Malang, East Java, Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

The man who is familiarly called Iwan Bule also stated that a night game was actually common, not only during this BRI Liga 1 season. “We can't determine it because there is a special hour for watching it (football match) from the broadcaster,” he added.

“There are two matches [that day], at night and afternoon. Both cannot be held at the same time. This is related to television broadcasting,” he also said.

On Saturday, October 1, 2022, PT Liga Indonesia Baru did schedule two matches; Arema FC vs. Persebaya Surabaya at 20:00 WIB which ended in tragedy and Borneo FC vs. Madura United at 15:30 WIB.

The night football match had previously been protested by a number of clubs, including Persib Bandung. The Association of Indonesian Professional Footballers (APPI) also assessed that a match that is held too late could affect the health of players according to many expert studies.

IRSYAN HASYIM

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