After the stadium disaster in Indonesia that killed 133, the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang is to be demolished and then rebuilt. This was announced by President Joko Widodo on Tuesday.
“The safety of players and fans must be guaranteed,” said the 61-year-old. It was agreed with FIFA that the international safety standards of the world football association would be used in the future. Next year the U20 World Cup will take place in Indonesia.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was also present at the meeting in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, assured the country of his support: “We will reform football in this country. We will bring our experts, invest and ensure that Indonesia shines on the global football stage,” said the 52-year-old.
The tragedy happened earlier this month after the league game between Arema FC and Persebaya FC (2-3) in a sold-out stadium with 42,000 spectators. As a result of riots, there were violent clashes in and around the arena. Many children were among the dead.
Officials from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have been in Jakarta since last week to investigate the incident with the national football association and the government. President Widodo has suspended all football matches pending the investigation and has ordered a security inspection of all stadiums.