Officially wearing the Persija uniform, Mauro Zijlstra: Ready to meet the challenge

Mauro Zijlstra became a new player for Persija Jakarta (doc. Persija).

JAKARTA - Indonesian national team naturalized player, Mauro Zijlstra, has now officially grazed in the country as a Persija Jakarta player. With his new club, Zijlstra admitted that he was ready to welcome the challenge and was determined to bring the Macan Kemayoran to the championship.

Mauro Zijlstra previously was a player for FC Volendam who appeared in the Eredivisie. After deciding to move to Persija, he realized that this choice was not easy, but he was ready to welcome all challenges.

"I am very ready to welcome the challenge with Persija. Persija is a big team that has the goal of winning this season. I am very enthusiastic to accept this challenge."

"I'm very happy, so is my family. As I said, Persija is a big club. So, I'm very happy to be here," Zijlstra said in a club statement quoted by Wednesday, February 4, 2026.

After officially accepting the proposal of Macan Kemayoran, the 21-year-old player was immediately tied to a 2.5-season contract. However, Persija emphasized its commitment to supporting the dreams of young players to break into the European stage.

Even though he has a long-term contract, Persija opens the door wide if one day Zijlstra gets the opportunity to have a career in the Blue Continent.

Zijlstra's experience at the Dutch football academy is expected to have an impact on the Macan Kemayoran's front line.

Zijlstra's presence in Indonesia also opens up the opportunity to add more appearances to the Indonesian National Team. Previously, he had recorded three appearances with the Garuda Squad, two of which were international friendly matches against China Taipei and Lebanon, and one match in the 2026 World Cup Qualification against Iraq.