The realm of Indonesian football has been marred by a number of violent and tumultuous occurrences, and one such incident transpired on June 1, 1995 during a match between Bandung Raya and Persija Jakarta at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung.
The turmoil among the spectators was instigated by the decision of the Persija players to go on strike, prompting fans to express their displeasure by hurling objects outside the stadium. Several vehicles, including the car of West Java PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) Chairman Drs. H. Ukman Sutaryan, who also held the position of Deputy Governor of West Java for Economy and Development, were targets of the crowd’s ire.
The strike initiated by the Persija players stemmed from a ruling by referee Drs. I Made Sudra from Denpasar, who awarded a free indirect kick to Bandung Raya. This decision was influenced by an alleged backpass by M. Yunus to Peri Sandria, which was caught by Persija goalkeeper Haryono.
The referee’s decision sparked protests from the entire Persija team, leading to I Made Sudra issuing a yellow card to Miro Baldo Bento and subsequently another yellow card to Rahmad Darmawan, further inflaming the emotions of the Persija players.
Tensions escalated when substitute players for Persija, including the General Chairman Ir. Todung Barita, entered the field and confronted the referee. The situation was eventually quelled when security personnel intervened to restore order. Nevertheless, despite efforts to calm the situation, Persija’s Coach Sugih Hindarto declared a strike and withdrew from the match, resulting in enduring animosity toward Persija from the Bandung public in subsequent seasons, persisting to this day.
The match, which was halted in the 68th minute, ended with Bandung Raya emerging victorious with a score of 3-1, courtesy of goals scored by Dejan Gluscevic (14th minute), Tibidi Alexis (21st minute), and Peri Sandria (43rd minute). In contrast, Persija managed to score a consolation goal through Iskandar in the 54th minute.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Disciplinary Committee of the Indonesian Football Association (Komdis PSSI) decreed that Persija would have an additional goal added to their defeat, resulting in a final score of 1-5. Furthermore, the team was docked three points and faced a fine of Rp 5 million.
The events at the Siliwangi Stadium in Bandung on that fateful day left an enduring imprint on the history of Indonesian football, serving as a stark reminder of the imperative to uphold sportsmanship and respect within the beautiful game.
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