Everton have confirmed that they have pulled out of the inaugural Java Cup tournament which was due to take place in Indonesia at the end of this week.
Premier League club will no longer travel to play in Java Cup
Everton have confirmed they have pulled out of the inaugural Java Cup tournament which was due to take place in Indonesia at the end of this week.
The Toffees were due to fly out to Asia in the coming days and compete in a four-team knockout competition, initially involving Turkish side Galatasaray, a Malaysia XI and an Indonesia XI.
Galatasaray withdrew from the tournament last week, with Uruguayan outfit Nacional poised to take their place.
However, further uncertainty with regards to the opposition and format of the tournament has forced the Toffees to withdraw themselves.
The club will now instead prepare back at their training ground, with their next pre-season game due to take place away at Blackpool on 5th August.
Risk
A statement on the club's
official website said: "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.
"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.
"This decision was not taken lightly and we apologise for the obvious inconvenience caused to our supporters who have made, or were planning to make the trip and to our Indonesian fans who were looking forward to seeing Everton in action.
"The first team squad will now stay in the UK and continue their pre-season preparations."
