Persebaya Is Being Chased By Time To Find A New Coach, Former JDT Becomes A Candidate Amid The Threat Of A Big Fine

JAKARTA - Persebaya Surabaya is in an urgent situation after cutting off cooperation with coach Eduardo Perez on November 22, 2025.

Until now, the head coach seat is still vacant, while the I-League regulations demand that the club register a new coach for a maximum of 30 days after the dismissal notice.

If it is too late, the threat of a large fine is already waiting. According to regulations, the club will be fined Rp. 100 million if it passes the deadline for the first 30 days.

From that deadline, the club still has not fulfilled its obligations in the next 30 days, the fine has increased to Rp200 million and continues to multiply.

This situation makes management have no room to postpone the recruitment process for new coaches. In the midst of this pressure, Persebaya is said to be taking a serious approach to former coach Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT).

The candidate's name is still kept secret, but an internal source said the talks had been going on since December 9, 2025.

This hints at Persebaya's ambition to present experienced trainers with a strong track record in Southeast Asia. Uston Nawawi, who is now an interim coach, managed to bring the team to stay in ninth place in the 2025/2026 Super League standings.

However, he emphasized that the situation ahead of two crucial matches in December 2025 made the presence of the new coach very important.

"The team needs stability in the second round. I just make sure the transition runs smoothly," he said in an internal team session quoted Thursday, December 11, 2025.

Persebaya is scheduled to face Borneo FC on December 20, 2025 and Persijap Jepara on December 28, 2025, which is considered a logical limit for the presence of a new coach.

Management hopes that the coach will still sit on the bench in the match against Persijap so that the team structure is better prepared to look at the second round.

With administrative pressure, the threat of fines, and the need to improve performance, these weeks have become the most decisive period for Bajul Ijo.

If negotiations with the candidate coach go smoothly, Persebaya can enter the new year with a new captain who brings higher standards to the team.