"
There were supporters who died in the arms of the players
," Javier Roca, the Chilean coach of the Indonesian club Arema, told Spanish radio
Cadena Ser
on Sunday , after the crowd movement that caused the least 125 dead and 323 injured in a stadium in Malang, east of the island of Java.
"
After the game, I went to the locker room and some players stayed on the pitch.
When I came back from the press conference, I discovered the tragedy in the stadium
, ”explained the Arema coach in a poignant testimony given to the Spanish media.
“
The players passed with victims in their arms.
The most terrible thing is when the victims came to be treated by the team doctor.
Twenty people came and four died.
There were supporters who died in the arms of the players
, ”delivered the Chilean technician.
Read alsoFootball: "a tragedy beyond the imaginable", says the president of Fifa about the drama in Indonesia
The incidents began when Arema fans invaded the pitch at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang after their side lost 3-2 to neighboring Persebaya Surabaya on Saturday.
Police, who described the incident as a "
riot
", tried to persuade fans to return to the stands and fired tear gas at the audience after two officers were killed, resulting in jostling and protests. uncontrolled crowds.
Many victims were trampled.
It was like an avalanche.
Javier Roca
“
I am morally devastated.
I feel a heavy burden, even a responsibility.
Results matter and determine what happens in the end.
If we had drawn, this would not have happened
,” said Javier Roca.
“
This proves that the stadium was not prepared, they (Editor's note: the organizers) did not expect such chaos, he continued.
It was like an avalanche.
Nothing like this had ever happened in the stadium and everything took on dramatic proportions due to the number of people who wanted to flee.
»
“
I think the police went too far, even though I was not on the ground and did not directly experience this tragic outcome.
Looking at the images, they (Editor's note: the police) could perhaps have used other methods
, ”he continued.
“
No match result, no matter how important, is worth someone losing their life
,” the coach concluded.
