The virtual meeting that was held last week between the FA of Indonesia (PSSI), stakeholders and also the club owners of Indonesia Liga 1 and Liga 2 have certainly given the national body plenty to think about.
With the leagues postponed since 16 March 2020, the virtual meeting with the clubs – 18 teams from Liga 1 and 24 teams from Liga 2 – was held to gather the opinions on whether the league should be restarted or cancelled altogether.
From the views given out by teams like Persejap and Perserang, it can be ascertained that with the COVID-19 pandemic still a big issue in Indonesia, the continuation of the leagues can be a big problem.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is still an issue and when the matches are played behind closed doors, it leads to other problems for the clubs,” said Persijap’s Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Iqbal Hidayat.
Added Perserang Manager Babay Karnawi: “the financials of the clubs are the biggest issue. Different provinces have different issues with COVID-19. And if the decision is made that the league cannot be restarted due to COVID-19, then so be it.”
But while the clubs may have expressed their views, the dilemma facing PSSI is a whole different issue.
Indonesia are set to compete in the AFC Under-19 Championship in Uzbekistan in October and no competition meant that the players will not have an avenue for competitive football.
Indonesia will also be hosting the FIFA U20 World Cup next year.
But more importantly for the PSSI, the much-awaited AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 will be played out at the end of this year.
And with South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong at the helm, Indonesia will be eager to finally claim their first ASEAN silverware.
