The 2023 Southeast Asian Games were successfully held in Cambodia and officially concluded on the evening of May 17th. With meticulous organization, the host country received a shower of praise from fans in the region as well as international friends.
However, the brawl between the U22 Thailand and U22 Indonesia teams in the men's football final somewhat tarnished the image of the 32nd SEA Games. Many major newspapers around the world continuously reported on this match, calling it one of the ugliest endings to a major sporting event.
Ugly images are constantly appearing in major newspapers around the world.
A horrific ending to the SEA Games.
On May 18th, the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) also submitted preliminary reports to FIFA regarding the incident. Witnessing what had happened, Gianni Infantino could only shake his head in dismay and share: “Southeast Asian football has the potential to develop both in depth and breadth. However, it is hampered by violence and other social problems.”
The incident that occurred on the evening of May 16th was truly regrettable. If it was a riot between players, the team's officials should have taken measures to stop it, but instead they joined in the melee, continuing the fight along with the players.”
Gianni Infantino could only shake his head at what he witnessed.
Disappointed by what he witnessed, Gianni Infantino also reminded the relevant football authorities to investigate and severely punish those responsible for the incident.
“The images from the SEA Games final have sent a negative message to the world of football. I hope that after a series of incidents in Southeast Asian football, the administrators of the AFC, AFF, and member football federations will reflect and find ways to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Such behavior must be severely punished.”
He called for a thorough crackdown on acts of violence at matches.
Things that shouldn't happen at an event like the SEA Games.
Since becoming head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino has placed great emphasis on investing in and developing football in less developed regions like Southeast Asia. He has repeatedly provided financial assistance to Southeast Asian football and visited the region to observe matches. Most recently, he was present at the second leg of the 2022 AFF Cup final at the Rajamangala Stadium between Vietnam and Thailand.
However, football in Southeast Asia has repeatedly faced incidents such as the Kanjuruhan disaster that killed 135 people in October 2022 in Indonesia, the "Land of a Thousand Islands" being stripped of the right to host the U.20 World Cup due to fan protests, and most recently, the ugly scene in the SEA Games 32 final.
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