President Jokowi Asks Indonesian U-20 National Team Players To Join One Team In League 1, Here's PSSI's Explanation

JAKARTA - PSSI Deputy General Chair (Waketum) Zainudin Amali again straightened out President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) request regarding the U-20 Indonesian national team players who will be joined as a team to compete in Liga 1. He said the plan was just a discourse and was uncertain.

Previously, President Jokowi's request to continue to unite U-20 players in one team appeared when he visited the last exercise at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), recently.

After training, the team was disbanded following FIFA's decision to cross out Indonesia as the host of the 2023 U-20 World Cup. The players were then returned to their respective clubs.

Amali explained that Jokowi's request for the U-20 national team was not coercive. The number 1 person in Indonesia still respects the contracts that each player has with their respective clubs.

However, he emphasized that if there are players who have difficulty getting a club or don't even have one, that's what Jokowi meant, it can make players collected into one team.

Jokowi's option reflects on the format that occurred in the 1990s. At that time there were the Primavera and Baretti teams who had successfully competed in Italy.

"Well, the President saw that it wasn't enough, as he said yesterday at SUGBK, then when the Indonesian national team faced Burundi, he saw that it was good for the children," said Zainudin Amali when meeting with media crews at the PSSI Press Secretariat at GBK Arena, Central Jakarta on Tuesday, April 4.

"Finally, how have these children been gathered in one club, for those who have not contracted and they are accommodated, but still, we haven't talked (seriously)," he explained.

The former Minister of Youth and Sports then explained the intent of President Jokowi. He said the request could not be separated from the commotion that had involved Shin Tae-yong with Persija Jakarta coach Thomas Doll.

When the Indonesian national team underwent a training camp (TC), Thomas Doll objected because his players often left the club in the middle of the competition. As for Shin Tae-yong, the decision was right to finalize the team.

"So indeed the President saw this, from several times he wanted to gather for the national team, there were several training centers (TC) that objected, especially coaches, they didn't want to, basically if you want to play, just take it," he explained.