Indonesia police postpone rematch of game that ended in stadium disaster
- Published
An investigation found tear gas fired by police was the main cause of the crush at Kanjuruhan Stadium
Indonesian police have postponed the rematch of a game that ended in one of football's worst stadium disasters due to the risk of further crowd trouble.
In October, 135 people died in a crush following a match between Indonesian clubs Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.
Their next league meeting was due to be played behind closed doors on Sunday, 5 March.
A police spokesperson said the supporters' "high history of rivalry" was a factor in calling the game off.
Yahya Alkatiri, the manager of home side Persebaya, said the rematch was due to be held in nearby Gresik, but police permission to host it was denied.
The game could not be played in Surabaya because of ongoing stadium upgrades.
Authorities had already recommended the match should happen outside East Java and without fans present.
Indonesia's top division, BRI Liga 1, resumed in December after being cancelled following the tragedy, but fans were banned from attending matches.
A report found that tear gas fired by Indonesian police triggered the crush, despite tear gas being banned as a crowd control measure by football's world governing body Fifa.
The tragedy forced Indonesian officials and fans to confront failings in the domestic game and five men including two police officers have been charged with negligence over the incident.
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