‘Risky’ tie’s rematch delayed

The rematch of an Indonesian football game that ended in one of the sport's worst stadium stampedes has been postponed due to the risk of further crowd trouble, police said on Thursday.

The October 2022 derby match in Malang, East Java, between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya saw 135 spectators killed, many crushed as they fled for exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd. Home side Arema lost the match 3-2.

Although their next league meeting was due to be played behind closed doors on Sunday, Dirmanto, a spokeperson for East Java police, said it was deemed high risk as the clubs "have a history of rivalry".

Yahya Alkatiri, manager of home side Persebaya said the game was due to be held in nearby Gresik, but police permission to host it was denied. They could not play in Surabaya because of ongoing stadium upgrades for the Under-20 World Cup in May.

"This was a match fraught with risks," Yahya told Reuters, adding scuffles could happen outside the stadium.