PT LIB Ensures Liga 1 2023/2024 Continues To Roll Together With The 2024 U-23 Asian Cup

JAKARTA - The opportunity for Liga 1 2023/2024 to be closed when the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup took place was very thin. President Director of PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB), Ferry Paulus, said the competition would continue in the middle of the tournament.

The 2024 U-23 Asian Cup will take place in Qatar from April 15 to May 3, 2024. At the same time, the regular series Liga 1 2023/2024 is still running.

Ferry Paulus explained the reason for the continued Liga 1 when the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup was played. He said there was a moment when Liga 1 entered a crucial phase that could not be closed.

"In that position we have discussed and we have conveyed the timeline for the competition. Therefore, (The 2024 U-23 Asian Cup) is on April 15 to May 3, 2024. That date is also a crucial period in the league."

"If the league is closed, that's impossible," said Ferry Paulus in his statement in Jakarta quoted on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.

In addition to the competition entering the crucial week, Ferry Paulus also explained the reason why the chance to postpone Liga 1 was so small. The former Persija Jakarta boss revealed that the swelling of operational costs was also a consideration if the competition collapsed.

PT LIB has no problem disbursing the competition even though the U-23 Asian Cup is not included in the official FIFA calendar. However, according to Ferry, PT LIB as the operator is responsible for thinking about the potential swelling of the club's operational costs if the league is temporarily suspended.

"From the league it doesn't matter (it's closed), not because we have a lot of money. However, there are consequences to increase the cost of the competition for at least one month," he said.

Along with this statement, Liga 1 2023/2024 will continue to roll on as scheduled in both regular series and competition series.

If the league is closed during the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup, there is a possibility that the league will finish beyond the set schedule.

The delay in the competition schedule will result in an additional cost burden of around Rp. 100 billion. This situation made PT LIB consider continuing to run the league as planned.

"For us, there is not much additional cost. However, there is an operational burden for the club starting from salaries and so on. We have made simulations so that there is a range (swelling) of Rp. 100 billion if it is delayed per month," he said.