Persija Without the Assistance of Coach Mauricio Souza, Bhayangkara Does Not Consider It a Big Advantage

Bhayangkara FC will face Persija in the postponed match of the eighth week of the 2025/2026 Super League. In that match, the Kemayoran Tigers will appear without the coach, Mauricio Souza.

Seeing this situation, Paul Munster as the coach of Bhayangkara FC did not consider that Souza's absence was an advantage for his team when visiting the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, on Monday, December 29, 2025, evening.

"Not (a benefit for us), I've been through this before. I've also been suspended sometimes and still won."

"So for me, from my experience in Indonesia, it's not an advantage. The most important thing is the players on the field."

"That's the most important thing. I and other coaches, will have strategies, but when you go onto the field, you need to trust your players," said Munster at a press conference at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Sunday, December 28, 2025.

Mauricio Souza was forced to miss out because he was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards. As a result, the Brazilian architect will not accompany his students when Macan Kemayoran plays a postponed match against Bhayangkara.

Despite Souza's absence, the trip to the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is not Munster's first experience.

Apart from being with Indonesian teams, Munster's first experience handling a team at the GBK Main Stadium was in 2019 when he was still coaching the Vanuatu National Team.

"I had it in 2019, five years ago. Time goes by quickly, but, yes, it was a good experience."

"This stadium is the best in Indonesia, but it will be even better if we get points," said the Northern Irish coach.

Bhayangkara currently occupies the 10th position in the 2025/2026 Super League standings with 19 points, 10 points behind Persija who are in fourth place. Munster acknowledged Persija's quality, but he considered that a tough opponent was what his team needed.

"They (Persija) have a good team. They play at home. In Indonesia, it feels different if you play at home."

"However, it is good for us to raise the level because this will be a good match," he said.