JAKARTA - A new phenomenon has emerged in the world of Indonesian football. A number of top Indonesian artists have flocked to the football club business. Starting from Raffi Ahmad, Kaesang Pangarep, Atta Halilintar. Recently, Gading Marten has acquired Liga 3 club Persikota Tangerang.
In recent times, several top artists have started to enter the football business in Indonesia. The reason is to advance Indonesian football. But more than that, it seems that investment in this sport is quite promising.
So what is the reason they buy a football club?
The Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia (Menpora RI) Zainudin Amali assessed that Indonesian football was starting to be trusted again by the public.
According to him, this can be seen from the increasing number of people, both artists and entrepreneurs, who want to invest in football clubs.
"I think there is one basic thing that I see why people like Raffi Ahmad, Atta Halilintar then Gading Marten and even the Sultan of Kelantan want to enter our football. After I discussed with various parties, various stakeholders, this is because our football is starting to be trusted by the community. There is starting to be trust from our public towards our football," Amali said in a written statement, Sunday, June 6.
Therefore, Amali also asked PSSI as a football federation to continue to maintain public trust.
"Well, this is what I ordered to the federation to my friends at PSSI, this must be maintained, there should no longer be fights between players in the middle of the field or coaches to fight with opposing players and so on. We really avoid that," he hoped.
Not only that, Amali said that he would encourage PSSI to make strict rules such as fixing scores and others. With this, he hoped that unwanted things would no longer happen.
"Because this will make people distrust Indonesian football, people will be lazy. Watching is lazy, let alone investing in Indonesian football," said Amali.
Amali also emphasized that the government and PSSI are very serious in advancing national football. Moreover, there is currently a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 3 of 2019 concerning the Acceleration of National Football Development. He said that in the future, national football would be pushed towards industry.
"Nowadays there is trust, my obligation as Minister of Youth and Sports, friends from PSSI must take care. If football is rolling, the industry will live, not only merchandise but also various things will appear. There will be innovations in this era digital," said Amali.
Furthermore, Amali revealed that the government does not only pay attention to the sport of football. But also pay attention to all sports, especially those that will be competed in the Olympics.
As is known, the government through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and sports stakeholders are currently preparing the National Sports Grand Design and are waiting for the issuance of a Presidential Regulation (Perpres) as the legal basis.
"So we take care of other sports through the Grand Design of National Sports. Now in the finalization stage of the Presidential Regulation. So that's even the Presidential Decree, not just the Presidential Instruction, So there is a Presidential Decree on grand design and we focus on it according to the character of the Indonesian people, physical characters and so on, namely sports that are more about accuracy and technique," he concluded.
Who are the Indonesian artists and celebrities who already have a football club?
1. Raffi AhmadRaffi Ahmad was the first to enter the football club business. He acquired League 2 club, Cilegon United.
The news began to be widely reported when he uploaded a photo on his Instagram account, @raffinagita1717.
Not alone, Raffi also made the decision to acquire FC Cilegon with Garuda Indonesia Deputy President Director Dony Oskaria and Rudy Salim.
"Please pray, bismillah," wrote Raffi, including a photo wearing a uniform and a folder bearing the Cilegon United logo, Sunday, March 28.
Raffi Ahmad changed the club's name to Rans Cilegon FC. However, this club did not immediately set a promotion target to League 1. This team wanted to organize themselves before they were ready to compete for promotion tickets.
Rans Cilegon FC also plans to build a FIFA-standard field as the team's headquarters in the Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) 2 area, North Jakarta.
Raffi himself reasoned that he wanted to have a football club because he had dreamed of becoming a player.
2. Kaesang PangarepThe son of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, who is also known as a celebrity on social media, Kaesang Pangarep has also launched into the national football industry business.
Kaesang is part of the Persis Solo club shareholder with the Minister of SOEs, Erick Tohir. Even Kaesang, was announced as the Managing Director of a club that took part in the League 2 competition.
Since being announced as President Director of PT Persis Solo Saestu (PSS), Kaesang emphasized that promotion to Liga 1 is Persis Solo's main goal.
"League 1 is fixed," said Kaesang when giving a speech.
3. Atta LightningThis YouTuber has just introduced the football club AHHA PS Pati FC. Atta introduced the newly created club through his official Instagram account.
Based on the video he uploaded, Ahha PS Pati FC made a black horse as the club's logo. There has been no explanation as to whether the club was newly formed or acquired an existing football club.
"Bismillah @ahhaps.fc! Hopefully we can help build Indonesian football and produce great players for Indonesia! ASHIAPP! MERAKYATT," Atta wrote in the caption for the upload, quoted from the @attahalilintar account, Sunday, June 6.
Previously, Atta had been approached by the management of the Sriwijaya FC football club from South Sumatra which competed in League 2. Meanwhile in the Pati area, there was already a football club called PSG Pati which competed in League 2.
4. Gading MartenThe latest news, Ivory is also called acquiring a football club. The news that the former husband of the artist Gisella Anastasia was working with Persikota first appeared from the Instagram @persikotafc1994 upload.
The account uploaded two photos showing Gading Marten holding official documents with the Persikota team, along with the words 'Welcome to Gading Marten'.
"Welcome to joining Gading Marten at Persikota Tangerang. Persikota Tangerang has officially reached an agreement with one of the leading figures, artists, entrepreneurs, and football activists in the country to jointly advance the Magic Baby to qualify for league 2 this season. Welcome @gadiiing ! Gading Marten is Baby Force #Persikotareborn," reads the post.
Persikota Tangerang team manager, Mahdiar said that he did not know for sure the number of shares that Gading Marten would get by acquiring the club, which was created by H. Rudi Hermawan. Including the issue of the percentage of shares that will be obtained.
"That's what we will discuss in detail because we need further discussions in the future," he said.
5. Baim WongNot wanting to be left behind, Baim also said he wanted to buy a football club. Through his Instagram account, Baim Wong took a photo with the Business Director of PT Liga Indonesia Baru, Rudy Kangdra.
"The deal is done," wrote Baim Wong in the caption of the photo uploaded on Friday, May 21, 2021. "We are advancing. Indonesian football!"
Baim was previously rumored to be buying Liga 2 club Sriwijaya FC.
"I want to buy Sriwijaya," Baim said in a YouTube Fans Entertainment show, Saturday, May 15.
However, Baim Wong has not officially acquired the Sriwijaya FC club. In fact, the club nicknamed Wong Kito had approached Atta Halilintar.
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