JAKARTA - The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) was reluctant to give a serious response regarding criticism of the chairman of the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) Presidium Neta S Pane.
Neta, through uploads on social media, said that the 2021 Menpora Cup Tournament was easy-going (small class).
Acting (Plt) Secretary General of PSSI Yunus Nusi said the Indonesian football federation is trying to hold the tournament professionally by involving a number of League 1 clubs which are the highest caste teams in the Indonesian football scene.
Regarding this criticism, he also fully submitted the assessment to the soccer community in Indonesia.
"We appreciate their (IPW) ignorance of the development of the world of football, so they make strange comments. We appreciate their expressions and we will make it our spirit to improve the implementation of the Menpora Cup," said Yunus in Samarinda, quoted by Antara, Saturday, 13 March.
He emphasized that this year's Menpora Cup tournament is not merely a competition to win trophies, but also as an opening the way for the implementation of a national football competition which has long been in hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Of course, by still considering the strict health protocol as recommended by the government, and we have also committed with Indonesian football supporters to voice the movement to watch football at home," explained Yunus.
In a virtual meeting to prepare for the Menpora Cup, the supporters' association is quite aware of the situation and conditions that occur in this country and they have agreed to be at the forefront of the "movement to watch football at home" or not be present at the stadium during the match.
"We will continue to evaluate during the match preparation period because we hope this year's Menpora Cup can be carried out well, safely, successfully and of course it can be a solution that football matches can also be carried out in an orderly manner with health protocols," said Yunus.
Neta previously asked the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and Menpora Zainudin Amali to be responsible for giving permission to hold the Menpora Cup if there is a new cluster for the spread of COVID-19. He asked Listyo and Zainudin Amali to resign.
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