PSSI Candidate Chairman Doni Setiawan Talks About The Sustainable Enigma Of The Indonesian League 2

Prospective Chairman of PSSI 2023-2027, Doni Setiabudi. (Photo: Instagram/@a_7alu)

JAKARTA The fate of the continuation of the Indonesian League 2 season 2022/2023 is still an stigma. The recommendation from the PSSI management when going to the new board for the 2023-2027 period to continue the competition is considered wishful thinking.

PSSI General Chair candidate Doni Setiawan is one of the few who doubts the continuation of Indonesia's second caste after the PSSI extraordinary congress (KLB) on February 16. He said that at this time all parties must be realistic about the fate of the event.

"Right now, if you want to talk honestly, the new management will be chosen on the 16th and inaugurated two days later or one day later or say in early March. So, if League 2 is carried out in March it is impossible because it will not take long for the fasting month," he said in an interview with VOI.

The journey of the Indonesian League 2 season has stalled after the tragedy of Kanjuruhan which took place in October last year. The competition still did not roll even though the caste above it was in Liga 1 Indonesia and then resumed.

Polemics also surfaced after a meeting of executive committee members which took place on Thursday, January 12. During the meeting, they decided the 2022/2023 Liga 1 season without relegation because League 2 was stopped with various considerations.

The pros and cons that emerged afterwards forced PSSI to hold another meeting with representatives of Liga 2 clubs on January 24. The consensus in the meeting handed over the fate of Liga 2 to return to the hands of the executive committee members.

Executive committee members will later make recommendations to new administrators to continue Liga 2 and not start a new season. However, the decision was deemed unrealistic with the situation on the ground.

Doni said that this decision marked the inability that existed in the body of the old management. He stressed that continuing Liga 2 on the sidelines of the fasting month and ahead of the 2023 U-20 World Cup would be difficult to implement.

"Sometimes people give empty hopes to the players. If it can't be continued, it can't be done. Don't act as if it's just to get voice support. It shouldn't be charged to the new management. That's clearly the inability of the old management," he said.

"They should have decided if they weren't able to run the league this year, yes, it was decided. Don't make it ambiguous like the new management will decide later. So, if it's not certain, let the players don't expect it," he added.

Doni is one of the five candidates for chairman who will fight in the KLB for the election of chairman, deputy, and executive committee members later. The other four names are Erick Thohir, LaNyalla Mahmud Mattalitti, Arif Putra Wicaksono, and Fary Djemy Francis.