Fifa will not sanction Indonesia over fatal crush at football match, says president

Indonesia’s president has said the country will not face sanctions from football’s world governing body after the firing of tear gas inside a half-locked stadium caused a crush at the exits, killing 131 people, including 17 children.

Joko Widodo said Fifa president Gianni Infantino wrote in a letter to him about potential collaborations between Indonesia and Fifa, adding that the country will remain the host of next year’s U20 World Cup involving 24 countries from five continents.

“Based on the letter, thank God, Indonesian football is not sanctioned by Fifa,” Mr Widodo said in a video posted on the presidential office’s YouTube channel.

In its security protocols, Fifa advises against the use of tear gas in or around stadiums and recommends exit gates be unlocked at all times during a game.

While those rules are considered a safety standard, they do not apply to domestic or national leagues and Fifa has no authority over how local governments and police control crowds.

Mr Widodo toured the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang city on Wednesday and said several locked gates had contributed to the disaster that followed a league game between host Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya on October 1.

The national police chief on Thursday said the stadium did not have a proper operating certificate and criminal charges would be brought against six people, including three police officers.

Indonesia’s national football association, PSSI, has long struggled to manage the game domestically.

Gaining the right to host next year’s Under20 World Cup was a major milestone, raising hopes that a successful tournament would turn around longstanding problems that have blighted the sport in the nation, home to more than 277 million people.

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