Thomas Doll Refuses To Release Persija Players To The U-23 Indonesian National Team For The 2024 U-23 Asian Cup

JAKARTA - Persija Jakarta coach, Thomas Doll, stressed that he will not release his players to the U-23 Indonesian national team who will appear in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup. A number of strong reasons are the decision factors for the German coach.

Thomas Doll said that the Kemayoran Tigers needed their players in full to compete in the hunt for the 2023/2024 Liga 1 title.

"No (leaving the U-23 Indonesian national team). We need them (players) because there is a title hunt," Thomas Doll said in a statement quoted Friday, February 16, 2024.

As is known, the U-23 Indonesian national team will appear in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup from April 15 to May 3, 2024 in Qatar.

In that period, Persija is scheduled to compete against Barito Putera (April 15, 2024), RANS Nusantara (April 21, 2024), and PSIS Semarang (April 28, 2024) in Liga 1 2023/2024.

The three matches are important for Persija Jakarta to be able to finish the regular season and occupy the top four positions. This target is absolute for Persija if they want to qualify for the championship series which will be held from 4-26 May 2024.

Apart from the crucial agenda, the status of the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup does not include the official FIFA agenda. This is a consideration for Thomas Doll not to let go of his players.

However, Thomas Doll's decision is not absolute. The coach can still consider releasing his players to the U-23 Indonesian national team, but with quite rational considerations.

"They (players) can go (to defend the U-23 Indonesian national team) after the match or during their spare time," said Thomas Doll.

Regarding the players who were summoned to the U-23 Indonesian national team, Persija was indeed one of the clubs that often contributed players to the Garuda Squad.

Call it Rio Fahmi, Rizky Ridho, Donny Tri Pamungkas, Muhammad Ferarri, and Muhammad Rayhan.