Will EPL tourists show solidarity with suffering Indonesian footballers?


In July, three score of the world's highest paid footballers will visit Indonesia to play off-season friendlies. Their three EPL clubs - Arsenal (14/7), Liverpool (20/7) and Chelsea (25/7) - will earn, and depart with, millions of consumer and sports marketing dollars.

Meanwhile, players in Indonesian football, local and foreign, are denied payment of salaries, suffer unfair dismissal, and left to die without correct medical attention.

"Let us remind FIFA that there are still significant problems in Indonesia caused by lack of good governance. A contract is not a contract. Players only get paid at the clubs' discretion. Players are workers with bills to pay. Nobody can go for as long as 9 months without getting paid. Apparently the players in Indonesia will have to. This can lead to terrible situations, as we've witnessed with the unfortunate death of Diego Mendieta," says Brendan Schwab, chairman of the Asian division of FIFPro, the international footballers' association.

FIFPro is also speaking to the visiting club players "about the plight of their fellow professionals. FIFPro aims to educate them about the seriousness of the issues that their colleagues in Indonesia have to deal with. FIFPro will also arrange for meetings between leading players from Indonesian football and the touring clubs."

Is this enough?