English football club Everton pulled out of a pre-season tournament in Indonesia on Tuesday citing concerns over the event after the withdrawal of Turkey's Galatasaray.
The Premiership outfit said it was forced to abandon plans to play this week's Java Cup after organisers were unable to give assurances "following a number of recently uncovered issues".
"Club officials here in the UK and our forward planning/security team deployed to Jakarta at the weekend have repeatedly asked for clarity and assurances from the organisers on the issues but unfortunately have not received the answers we required in the timeframe necessary to ensure our participation," a spokesman said on the club website.
"We are grateful for the support today of the Indonesian government in this matter, however the unresolved issues mean that the risk of travelling was too great."
The inaugural Java Cup, scheduled for July 26-29, had already been hit by Galatasaray's decision not to play. Uruguay's Nacional were lined up as a replacement but their participation could not then be confirmed.
The tournament, also involving an Indonesian XI and a Malaysian XI, is due to be played at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno stadium, scene of a deadly stampede in November and fatal clashes between fans in May.
The latest events provide further embarrassment for Indonesian football, which has long been mired in controversy and was threatened with suspension by world body FIFA following the launch of a rebel league.
Source: AFP
