Angry Alfred Riedl Blasts Media Over Coverage of Indonesia Football Team
Indonesia coach Alfred Riedl can’t afford to have his players distracted ahead of their semifinal tie against the Philippines next week. But its torrid run in the AFF Cup has attracted a lot of media coverage, sometimes to the detriment of the team’s preparations. (Antara Photo) Related articles
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Riedl and his players resumed training on Friday after taking two days off. But their camp at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta looked more like a venue for a rock concert than training camp as dozens of fans and several media groups gathered at the site to catch a glimpse of the Merah Putih practice.
Indonesia supporters assembled at the the training ground even before Riedl and his squad arrived. When the practice session was over, some of the fans ran onto the pitch to ask the players for autographs and take their pictures.
Riedl was livid over the incident and blamed the media for “the overhyped circus.”
“I’ll tell you something. The players are not allowed to be interviewed at the hotel. They’re not allowed to go to any TV or radio station. We want them to stay inside their hotel. End of story,” Riedl said.
Riedl said he wanted his players to keep “their full focus” as they enter the crucial semifinal stage.
“There’s too many distractions and I hope the media cooperates. What is happening now is like it’s an overhyped circus. It’s just too much,” he said.
“The boys are not part of a circus, like some horse where the media is the circus director, telling them to do this and that. This must not happen.”
Indonesia is scheduled to host the Philippines in their two-leg semifinals on Dec. 16 and Dec. 19.
Sutan Harharah, the technical director of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), has scouted the Philippines and noted its strengths, particularly in defense.
“They have a good goalkeeper in Neil Etheridge. They are fast on the counterattack,” said Sutan, who flew to Vietnam on Wednesday to watch the match between the Philippines and Burma that ended in a scoreless draw.
“Their forwards can come down from midfield and attack you quickly. They have very disciplined defenders, and their midfielders are always ready to help out,” he added.
Riedl said he was aware of how dangerous the Philippines is, and warned his players not to be complacent. The Filipinos are in the semifinals of the AFF Cup for the first time in its history.
“They’re a strong team. Anybody who believes they aren’t doesn’t know football. They’ve conceded only one goal in three matches, and that’s a testament to their strong defense,” said Riedl, whose side has scored a tournament-best 13 goals.
“The way the Philippines plays, that may cause us a lot of trouble. That’s why we need to be careful.”
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