Man United scraps match in Indonesia after bombs blast Jakarta hotel team would have stayed in

Man U scraps Indonesia match after hotel blasts

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Manchester United has canceled a planned visit to Indonesia after Friday’s bomb attack on the hotel where the team was due to stay in Jakarta.

The English Premier League club was booked to stay on Saturday and Sunday nights at the Ritz-Carlton, one of the two hotels hit by Friday’s terror attack. The blasts at the Ritz and the adjacent J.W. Marriott killed nine and wounded at least 50 more.

The club said it has informed the Indonesian Football Association that it cannot play the friendly match against the Indonesian All-Stars scheduled for Monday.

United arrived earlier Friday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — the first stop of what was supposed to be a four-nation preseason tour that also includes South Korea and China.

United chief executive David Gill indicated the team might extend its stay in Malaysia but would consult the country’s soccer association before announcing a decision.

“We have to consider the safety of the players and the staff and everyone else in the team because they are of paramount importance,” Gill told a news conference.

The club said it was “deeply disappointed at not being able to visit Indonesia” and said “our thoughts go to those affected by the blasts.”