Left By A Number Of Foreign Players, Arema FC And League 1 Clubs May Not Add Players

Arema FC (Photo: Indonesian League)

JAKARTA - A number of League 1 clubs have to swallow the bitter pill ahead of the competition in early October. Several foreign players decided to leave.

Call it Arema FC, which Jonathan Baumann and In Kyun-oh left behind. The club with the nickname Singo Edan has reportedly started looking for a name to replace it.

However, Arema FC's desire to recruit new foreign players must be considered carefully. The reason is, PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) does not allow clubs to bring in new players.

This was conveyed by the Director of PT LIB, Akhmad Hadian Lukita, to VOI, Monday, August 31. He said there should not be a player transfer process until December 2020.

"It could (bring in players), but the registration is still in December," he said.

According to Akhmad Hadian, no dispensation was given even though the club was left by a number of players due to contract renegotiation. In fact, this is the policy of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI).

He also revealed that the transfer ban does not apply to League 2 clubs because the League 2 competition is not like Liga 1.

"League 2 new registration again because of the new format, not as advanced as League 1," he said.