What is Happening With Indonesia Football (Part1)

After the euphoria reaching the final stage of 2010 Suzuki Cup, the Merah Putih has freefall  and finally hit the rock bottom in the 2015. Yes, eventhough we didn't win the competition but the team got the attention from the media all over the country. Everybody knows who Irfan Bachdim is, who Christian Gonzales is, who Bustomi is at that time. PSSI (Indonesian FA) is dominated by some dirty politicians from the "yellow party" used the fame of the players in order reach their potential of the 2014 Presidential Campaign.

Right before the Suzuki Cup on 17 September 2010, 20 Indonesian football clubs gathered together by local businessman named Arifin Panigoro wo concerned of conditions football clubs in Indonesia then took a joint iniatiave to establish and declare a new league called Liga Primer Indonesia. After all only 3 clubs that joined them (PSM Makasar, Persebaya 1927 and Persema Malang) and the rest was ew clubs formed by the consortium. The consortium funded the clubs to attract new foreign players and coaches.

Arifin Panigoro(4th from the right) among the founding fathers of LPI

Jose Basualdo, Wim Rijsbergen and Lionel Charbonnnier were among the coaches and for the stars player they invested in former Fiorentina and Brazil midfielder Amaral, former Cameroonian player Alain N'Kong, former Aston Villa and England one cap wonder, Lee Hendrie, former Ajax Amsterdam players Pascal Heije and Richard Knopper were just some of them.

Lee Hendrie when he signed with Bandung FC

As thing are getting chaos on April 1 2011, FIFA Comitee Emergency Comitee task PSSI for presidential elections of PSSI and banned the old contender George Toisutta (the Indonesia Armed Forces general), Arifin Panigoro (LPI Founder) and Nirwan Bakrie ( vice president of the current PSSI and brother of Aburizal Bakrie). Finally Arifin Panigoro and co has took over the PSSI old regime and put Djohar Arifin as the Chairman of the PSSI.

Troubles comes to them 3 clubs has been disqualified because more than one game walkout,the financian becoming an issues and 2 clubs which was Arema and Persebaya also disqualified after accused cloning the club(the real one is in the ISL). ISL....still running by the old regime of PSSI who cannot accept their fate. So that makes the Indonesian Football has two professional league running in that season which was ISL and LPI.  In the next season LPI is changed by the consortium in to IPL and some of PSSI clubs moved in to their league so the consortium decided to cut down the clubs that they made. The Consortium promised to the clubs that join them will be funded and now they have 12 clubs and ISL still running.

As for the national team, 2012 Suzuki Cup was turned out badly for Merah Putih as they failed to reach the semifinal after the ISL player which has better player than the IPL not allowed to join the national team by their clubs. The good thing is the U-19 really did well on the 2013 U-19 AFF championship as they won it with attractive style of play and created new local hero on Evan Dimas. A month after the AFF, they also qualified in to AFC U-19 championship by beating strong contender, South Korea 3-2 by Evan Dimas hat-trick.