Andik Vermansah’s Outburst Goes Viral, Criticizes Liga 2 and Erick Thohir—What’s Behind the Controversy?

PSPS Pekanbaru secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Persiraja Banda Aceh in the 2024-25 Liga 2 Quarterfinals held at Kaharuddin Nasution Stadium on Tuesday, February 11. The only goal of the match came from Noriki Akada in the 72nd minute, which helped the home team claim all three points.

However, the game was marred by controversy surrounding the referee’s decisions, which led to sharp criticism from Andik Vermansah, the captain of Persiraja and former Indonesian national team player. Soon after the match ended, Andik expressed his frustration on social media.

His comments, which targeted PSSI President Erick Thohir and PT LIB, quickly went viral, especially among Indonesian football fans. Many speculated that Andik's remarks were related to what he perceived as biased officiating that benefited PSPS Pekanbaru at the expense of Persiraja. Fans of Laskar Rencong also voiced their disappointment in the comments section of the club's official Instagram account.