JAKARTA - Persija Jakarta's readiness to face the second round of the 2025/2026 Super League is getting stronger after officially bringing in former Santos FC defender, Paulo Ricardo. The player was officially introduced as a new ammunition for the Kemayoran Tigers on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
The presence of Paulo Ricardo to fill the position left by Thales Lira. The reason is, the player will return to his old club.
Paulo Ricardo's figure was also greeted warmly by Persija's director, Mohamad Prapanca. He is optimistic that the presence of this player who has worked in Finland can make the team more solid.
"Paulo Ricardo is a player with a lot of experience. We believe that his presence will give a new dimension to Persija's back line, not only technically, but also in terms of mental and maturity to play."
"What we instructed him was very clear, namely to help Persija win the trophy at the end of this season," said Prapanca in an official statement.
From the players' side, Paulo Ricardo admitted that he was very enthusiastic to be part of Persija Jakarta. The Brazilian-blooded player felt that it would not be difficult to adapt to the Macan Kemayoran squad because the coach and a number of players also came from the same country.
"I think playing for Persija is a new challenge. A different country, a different culture, maybe even a different football, but it's growing rapidly."
"New challenges are always a good thing to test myself. In terms of goals, of course to be a champion. Trying to do everything, giving everything on the field," said Ricardo.
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