The president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, announced on Tuesday that the Kanjuruhan stadium, on the island of Java and the scene of one of the worst tragedies in the history of world football, will be demolished and later rebuilt in accordance with FIFA regulations. . "Kanjuruhan Stadium in (the city of) Malang... we will demolish and rebuild it according to FIFA standards as an example of a model stadium with good facilities, ensuring the safety of spectators and players," he said. in statements to journalists.
The announcement comes shortly after Widodo held a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in which both promised to improve security in the country's stadiums, after the death of more than 130 people during a stampede. , as explained later in a press conference.
On October 1, more than 130 people and another 460 were injured after a deadly stampede that had as its main trigger the launch by the Police of tear gas - a crowd control measure prohibited by FIFA -, according to the conclusions of a report published last week by a special commission set up to investigate the incident.
The tragedy, one of the deadliest in football history, also led to the formation of a joint task force between the Indonesian government and FIFA to improve security measures during matches, at a time when the country Asian is preparing to host the U-20 World Cup next year.
In this context, the head of the governing body of world football stressed today during the press conference that Indonesia "is a football country" and that "we owe it to them that when they watch a game they are safe and protected."
"We are going to work together as a team, as a winning team. We will focus on the (security) operations in the stadiums, on the stadiums themselves, on the fans, their behavior and their commitment," Infantino said after expressing " deep condolences" to the families of the deceased.
