Brand sponsors of Indonesia football match ending in riot express grief

The world of football and sponsors of the sport are in a state of shock as at least 125 people lost their lives in a riot during a football match between Arema FC and Persebeya Surabaya in Indonesia. The match was held at BRI Liga 1 in Kanjuruhan Stadium and hundreds were left injured after Arema FC's lost to bitter rivals at the overcrowded stadium and police tossed tear gas to stop fans from invading the pitch.

According to a statement by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the football world is in a state of shock after the match between the two football teams. "This is a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension. I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives following this tragic incident," he said.

"Together with FIFA and the global football community, all our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, and those who have been injured, together with the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the Asian Football Confederation, the Indonesian Football Association, and the Indonesian Football League, at this difficult time,” Infantino added.

The main sponsor of the match, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, additionally said on an Instagram post that it hopes that there will never be another tragedy such as the one which just occurred in Indonesian football and that the world of football within the country is better than this. It added that football cannot be bigger than life, and "We believe football is the unifier of the nation with all the sportsmanship and humanity in it, and we believe Indonesian football is better than this."

Some other sponsors for Arema FC include Vidio.com, KFC, MS Glow for Men, Indomie and The Legion Nutrition. While some brands haven't yet put out a statement after the incident, Vidio.com said it grieves for the incident at the stadium and prays for the victims and families of those affected.

Meanwhile, KFC also paid its respects and sent deep condolences to football fans and loved ones affected by the incident. MS Glow for Men said it is also saddened by the losses and everyone involved in the incident.

Meanwhile the BRI Liga 1 sponsors for rival team, Persebeya Surabaya are Extra Joss, Kings Wallet, Kopi Kapal Api, MPM Honda East Java and the University of Muhammadiyah Surabaya.Extra Joss said that it mourns for the tragedy and for the families of victims. 

The University of Muhammadiyah Surabaya gathered thousands of students from the university and held a joint prayer and reflection night of the incident in the stadium, where there were hundreds of lives lost. MPM Honda East Java posted its deepest condolences on the incident on its Instagram account. Kopi Kapal Api and Kings Wallet haven't unveiled their standing and statement in the incident.

PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) general chair, Mochamad Iriawan said, he expresses his grief and condolences. "PSSI regrets the actions of Aremania supporters at the Kanjuruhan Stadium. We are sorry and apologise to the families of the victims and all parties for the incident. For that PSSI immediately formed an investigation team and immediately left for Malang," he added.

Meanwhile on the updates of the future matches, Erwin Tobing, the chairman of the PSSi Disciplinary Committee said the association may not allow Arema FC to host the remaining matches in the match this season after receiving the report that Arema FC's fans broke into violence because they were defeated by the opposing team.

Tobing could not confirm how many victims died or were injured in this incident. However, if a victim dies, it is already a criminal matter and will be followed up by the police. ''We support the police to follow up on this incident. Anyone who does wrong should be punished," he added.   

Related articles: 
English football leagues boycott social, ask social media giants to address online hate