The Day Persija Jakarta Became an Underdog in Bandung

Indonesian football encounters have long been tarnished by incidents of fan violence, one particularly notable occurrence transpired on June 1, 1995, during the clash between Bandung Raya and Persija Jakarta at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung.

Tensions boiled over when the players of Persija initiated a strike, prompting fans to express their frustration by hurling objects outside the stadium, even resulting in some vehicles, including that of Drs. H. Ukman Sutaryan, the Chairman of the West Java PSSI Komda and Deputy Governor of West Java for Economic and Development Affairs, falling victim to the vandalism.

Reported by “Pikiran Rakyat,” the strike by Persija players was set in motion by the decision of Referee Drs. I Made Sudra (Denpasar) to award Bandung Raya an indirect free-kick due to M. Yunus allegedly committing a backpass with the foot. This contentious decision incited protests from all Persija players, leading to further confrontation and ultimately the resignation of the Persija Coach, Sugih Hindarto. The match, which culminated in Bandung Raya’s 3-1 victory, was subsequently met with disciplinary action from the PSSI, imposing a deduction of three points and a fine of IDR 5 million for Persija.

This regrettable episode is a poignant reminder of the tumultuous landscape of Indonesian football and the enduring repercussions of incidents of such nature.