I.League Highlights Supporter Safety After Bobotoh Tragedy in Bogor

I.League Competition Director Asep Saputra has highlighted a string of incidents involving supporters over the past month, especially the death of a Bobotoh after Persib's match against Garudayaksa FC at Pakansari Stadium, Bogor, on Sunday (25/10/2026). He stressed that improving the quality of the competition must go hand in hand with guarantees of safety for all parties.

According to Asep, the progress of the competition is not measured solely by how tight the rivalry between clubs is, but also by the competition's rising value. Therefore, all stakeholders are required to protect the ecosystem so that these achievements are not undermined by security incidents.

PSSI, he continued, keeps pushing I.League to strengthen communication and formulate concrete steps to minimize the risk of similar occurrences. Security preparation has in fact been part of coordination before the competition rolls, including communication with the police on permits and match security.

Asep explained that security must cover two different areas: the environment inside the stadium and public space outside the stadium. Both require special handling so that safety is maintained not only during the match, but also before and after it.

"We hope all parties, first of all ourselves as organizers, the clubs, and also the match organizers, certainly want to strengthen communication and ensure what we have prepared. We also actually already have a security arrangement plan to ensure everything runs well," Asep said after the Media Cup 2026 press conference at GBK Arena, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (27/10/2026).

He added that a healthy football ecosystem requires stability as well as a safe and comfortable situation for all parties. That responsibility does not rest only on the shoulders of the competition operator, but also on the clubs, organizing committee, supporters, and security personnel. Rivalry between supporters must also remain within the bounds of sportsmanship and fair play.

To strengthen these efforts, I.League has a General Security Officer and a fan engagement program. Going forward, communication with the Spectator Liaison Officer representing each club will be increased. Coordination with the police is also carried out periodically, both at the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) level and with regional police.

On security evaluation, Asep stressed that handling does not always go through a single uniform formal mechanism. I.League applies a case-based approach, so the steps taken can be adjusted to the characteristics and risk level of each incident.

"So, the form of evaluation is not yet ceremonial. We use a case-based approach. For example, when there is an incident in a certain place, of course the handling differs from a situation we already consider to be at a safer level," Asep said.

Nevertheless, the incident that befell the Bobotoh is an alarm that the issue of supporter safety remains a major piece of unfinished business. Indonesian football is often marked by clashes between supporters, and the incident in Bogor adds to the long list of fatalities that should have been preventable.

Asep also touched on the achievements of Indonesian clubs in Asian inter-club tournaments, including Persib Bandung and Borneo FC. According to him, these achievements deserve appreciation and need to be supported by a safe and conducive condition of national football.

"Even if we look at the coefficient value this year, we are also among the top ten. I think this is tremendous appreciation and it also needs to be supported by a more comprehensive conduciveness for everyone involved in Indonesian football stakeholders," Asep explained.

Going forward, the challenge is to ensure that the case-by-case approach does not become an excuse to neglect minimum security standards. Without firm enforcement of the rules and collective awareness, achievements on the pitch could continue to be overshadowed by grief outside the stadium.