Why of Why

It's always hard as an Indonesian to answer the question "what does Indonesian football like?" It's a very tough questions since football in Indonesia sucks. There are too much conflict, too many problems, too much interest, and too many naive people involve in the development of football.

I used to be a football lover. Though my favorite team was Manchester United and I always tuned in the English Premier League in 1996 until early 2000, I had much interest on Indonesian football during that year. I was so proud of our players and also the national league. I didn't remember quite well what achievement that our national team made but definitely the atmosphere of good developing football was present.

For the past few years our national team recruited players whose parent is Indonesian, half-blood Indonesian-westerner players. Most played in Netherlands. Those players then joined a selection program held by the Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) and if they succeed they will play for the national league and they will become Indonesian citizen. Next step they will play for Indonesia National Team. This is a fast way to get good players, but to me this program has limit the chance of  other national players, Indonesia origin players. They have to compete with those who has played for several seasons in the European league.

Another internal conflict inside the Indonesia Football Association, worsened the situation. The association chief  in charge was fought by other group and both tried to make their action legal by filing sue to the world football association (FIFA). The coup d'etat inside the association  broke and then other groups of people who named themselves the national football supporters were dueling to get the top position. Politicians, artist, public figure were all busy to save the Indonesian football. They have left a big question for me, were they really did all the effort to save the plummeting Indonesian football or they just did all the heroic action in the name of personal or group interest? Only God knows what has happened.

Those two big problems are just new problems. The classic problem of hooliganism hasn't been solved. Now i don't feel save in my own city during the football match. Fanatic supporters do vandalism in their own city and other cities too when the team has away game. Fanatic supporters are full of hatred, they marked the public places with humiliated and sarcastic words to other teams' supporters. These blind fanaticism to me is just as dangerous as terrorism. They terrorized other people just because their vehicle's license plate shows hated team's hometown. That's stupid. The fanatic supporters has set barriers, develop hatred, racism, and grow terror.

The players are also childish on the other hand. Not all but some. They don't respect the referee, the officials and players from other team. The kung fu kick, thai-boxing and others violence seems common in the league. They're failed to show what sportsmen should be. They don't have good attitude, what they do has made the supporters even wilder.

I dream about good football game, nice supporters, great achievements in the future. Football is treated as the same as politics now. It's the main talk show topic on TV, it's on TV almost every week end, it makes people stay at home and enjoy their leisure time in front of TV, and it makes people yell and scream in both happiness and disappointment. Big support and effort are needed to make Indonesian football much better in the future. If it's too much, then say a little bit better. Our team was great in the past. Supporters' courtesy were much better then they are now. I believe there will an answer of all this never ending problem. Let us all pray, that might be the only answer for now.

(Silvana)


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