Away Supporter Ban Revoked, High-Intensity Rivalry Matches Remain Restricted

Away supporters are set to return as part of the match atmosphere for Indonesian football competitions next season. Competition operator I.League has confirmed that the ban on visiting team supporters, which has been enforced for approximately four years, will be revoked.

However, this policy change does not mean away fans will automatically be allowed entry to all matches. I.League retains the authority to apply restrictions, most notably for high-rivalry fixtures including Persebaya Surabaya vs Arema FC, or Persija Jakarta against Persib Bandung.

I.League Chief Executive Officer Ferry Paulus clarified that security considerations will remain the absolute priority when determining whether away supporters are permitted to attend any given match.

"For matches with that level of intense rivalry, away supporter access may be locked or fully prohibited. Additional policies restricting visiting fans may still be enacted, but all final assessments for this will originate from the police authorities," stated Ferry during a briefing in Jakarta.

The away supporter ban was first introduced across Indonesian domestic football following the Kanjuruhan Tragedy on 1 October 2022. For nearly four years, league fixtures were held without visiting team fans as part of public safety and security protocols.

Now, I.League has recorded positive improvements in match management standards and supporter conduct. Ferry confirmed that incidents linked to away fan presence have become extremely rare, prompting the competition operator to submit a formal proposal to FIFA for the return of visiting supporters.

"It can be said that issues involving away supporters are now very minimal. On that basis, we submitted this proposal to FIFA, and FIFA has granted their approval - with attached conditions," Ferry explained.

FIFA Grants Approval With Stipulated Requirements

FIFA's approval clears the formal path for away supporters to return to Indonesian football competitions. Even so, I.League has emphasised that this policy comes with binding regulations that all clubs and supporters must fully comply with.

All participating clubs have received official guidelines detailing the restrictions and operating rules required to maintain this policy on a sustainable long-term basis.

"We have shared with every club all mandatory protocols that must be followed, along with all prohibited actions that must be avoided, to ensure we can retain away supporter access permanently moving forward," he added.

To support policy implementation, I.League has also deployed an integrated digital ticketing system via the Sobat Liga mobile application. This system has already been distributed to all clubs and is currently in active trial operation.

"This system has been rolled out to all clubs and trial runs are already underway. To date it is operating very smoothly, as we have also upgraded supporting technical infrastructure for the ticketing platform," he confirmed.

The upcoming competition season will launch with the Super League on 4 September. The Championship tournament is scheduled to commence on 12 September, while the accompanying League Cup competition will kick off on 3 November.