Arema FC Wants To Return To Candang At The Kanjuruhan Stadium At The End Of This Year

Kanjuruhan Stadium after the tragedy of the riot that killed 135 Arema FC supporters on October 1, 2022. (Between/Naufal Amma)

Arema FC management hopes that the squad nicknamed Singo Edan can re-use the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang Regency, East Java as the home of the Indonesian League 1 season 2024/2025 at the end of this year.

Arema FC Operations Manager Sudarmaji in Malang City, Sunday, said Soepriadi Stadium, Blitar City remains an option for cages if the renovation of the Kanjuruhan Stadium is still unfinished in December.

"Hopefully it can be finished in December, later in the seventh week Arema will enter December against Persita. Even so, we plan to still be in Blitar," said Sudarmaji.

The selection of the Soepradi Stadium also takes into account the distance and costs incurred by Aremania while watching Arema FC's home game.

Sudarmaji stated that the management is now coordinating with the Malang Regency Government to obtain permission to use the Kanjuruhan Stadium.

"We have been preparing since August, at Blitar the road and the team presented at Blitar will move to Kanjuruhan," he said.

In addition to renovations, Sudarmaji also said that the decision whether or not to use the Kanjuruhan Stadium depends on the results of the assessment carried out by PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB).

Asked about the implementation of the assessment, he did not know for sure the details of the mechanism, but ensured that the process ran for three days.

"But this stadium has received attention from PSSI and LIB. It is possible that November will not have a match because of FIFA matchday and at that time we maximized it to be able to move there," said Sudarmaji.

Arema FC has not been in Malang since Liga 1 for the 2022/2023 competition season resumed after the Kanjuruhan Tragedy event on October 1, 2022. The incident caused 135 supporters to die.

Arema FC must be the travel team or move from headquarters, such as playing at the Captain I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Gianyar, Bali and the PTIK Stadium in Jakarta.