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Persija-Sriwijaya Brawl Heaps More Embarrassment on Football
December 19, 2011

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Following the example of the country’s football leaders, who seem constantly at loggerheads, Indonesia’s players also are showing they have no lack of fight.

Persija Jakarta defender Ismed Sofyan sparked a brawl on Sunday after he carried his heated exchange with Sriwijaya FC striker Hilton Moreira into their hotel in Palembang.

Persija had just lost 2-1 at Gelora Sriwijaya in a hard-fought Indonesian Super League match that included three red cards. Referee Ahmad Suparman sent off visiting goalkeeper Andritani Ardhiyasa in the 25th minute for handling the ball outside the box, and Persija defender Fabiano Beltrame and Sriwijaya captain Keith Kayamba Gumbs were ejected seven minutes later after trading punches.

Moreira scored Sriwijaya’s two goals, while Paraguayan forward Pedro Javier Velazquez scored in his Persija debut.

After the match, Persija returned to the Swarna Dwipa hotel, which also houses Sriwijaya’s foreign players. Ismed asked the receptionist to call Moreira and told the Brazilian he wanted to meet him in the lobby.

It was unclear what they discussed, but a witness told state news agency Antara that the men soon began yelling at each other. Sriwijaya defender Thierry Gathuessi tried to separate the two, but a fight quickly ensued.

Ismed, who suffered a cut to his temple, ran upstairs. The entire Persija squad soon came to the lobby and began chasing the two Sriwijaya players, who escaped through a fire exit before police arrived on the scene.

Other Sriwijaya players and officials then arrived at the hotel and met the Persija contingent.

“We have reported the incident to the police and we leave them to investigate the matter,” Sriwijaya club secretary Faisal Mursyid said on Monday without elaborating.

Persija coach Iwan Setiawan also stayed tight-lipped.

“We’ll resolve this matter as soon as possible,” he said.

Antara, JG