Returns Trofeo Nusantara For Accused Of 'Kungfu Fight', Persik Coach: We Came As A Professional Team, But...

Persik Kediri coach Javier Roca (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Persik Kediri coach Javier Roca also commented on the incident at the Trofeo Meet the Star, which featured world soccer star Ronaldinho, at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang Regency, East Java, last Sunday.

"I grew up in football since I was little and every day I always talk about the ball, from technique, tactics and physicality. Everyone has the right to judge anything, but I can't judge the statements of someone who hasn't been in football for long," said Javier Roca, quoted from the statement. Between, Thursday.

He insisted in the game his team came as a professional team. The players play all out when competing.

"Obviously we came as a professional team, but there are special instructions that every player should not interfere, so we must not put pressure on Ronaldinho's game at all," he said.

He was also happy that during the match there were no injured players, both in the Persik Kediri team and the opposing team.

In fact, after the match was over, he also spoke with Ronaldinho.

"After the match I also spoke directly with Ronaldinho, I said if our team made a mistake I apologize. But he didn't mind it, he was a little tired but not because of the game on the field but he was tired first, the most important thing he said he was very happy in Indonesia and I hope to be able to return to playing in Indonesia," said coach Roca.

Persik management was disappointed and gave a statement regarding the Persik Kediri team which was accused of playing hard and being rude which was analogized as a "kung fu fight" which was a one-sided opinion without looking at the statistics and actual events seen on the gridiron.

From the match summary issued by the referee who led the Trofeo Nusantara with Ronaldinho, Persik Kediri did not get a yellow card or a red card in either of the two matches they played.

Especially in the first match, when Ronaldinho played, out of a total of 12 violations, Persik Kediri only made four violations, while eight other violations were committed by the opposing team.

From these data, the statement "kung fu fighting" has been refuted. The White Tiger Team, nicknamed Persik Kediri, also always prioritizes sportsmanship and fair play when playing in any competition, including pre-season tournaments and informal or friendly matches.

Throughout the match, when Ronaldinho played, Persik Kediri's retainers also gave their respect and opportunity for Ronaldinho to show his skills without getting any pressure. However, statistics also show that the supply of bait to Ronaldinho is also very minimal. There were two moments when Ronaldinho was in a free position but was not given a pass.

To that end, the management of Persik Kediri returned the Nusantara Trofeo with Ronaldinho to the organizers.