Thursday, December 01, 2011
ISL Kicks Off Today
The AFC told the Indonesian Football Association the new season had to begin by a certain date or they would lose the right to enter teams in continental football next season. So, amid much ballyhoo, the Indonesia Premier League kicked off on 15 October when Persib hosted Semen Padang.
A few more games were scheduled but never took place and the competition, fully one game old, went into hibernation for the SEA Games, a period of six weeks.
Much can happen in six weeks. The IPL lost nearly half of its teams which seems pretty careless. One of the teams that left were Persib, preferring the Indonesia Super League. They are left with 13 teams...don't the AFC get upset with an odd number of teams in the league?
Persib may have gone but the IPL website still shows the game counting for Semen Padang! Seriously, I'm not making this crap up...I couldn't, it just beggars belief.
The fixture list on the official website resembles a fairy tale with the withdrawn clubs games still listed; perhaps wishful thinking?
With clubs like Persib, Persija, Persipura and Sriwijaya opting for the ISL, the IPL is seriously short of class and quality. They have Arema and maybe Persebaya and PSM.
Next Thursday the team formerly known as Jakarta FC, now labouring under the misapprehension they are in fact Persija, have a home game against Persiba Bantul. It remains to be seen where this game will be played. Bung Karno, as has been suggested, would be an expensive folly given the rental fees involved and the lack of support the club enjoys.
But hey, ho. Never a dull moment in the wacky world of Indonesian football.
# posted by Me @ 5:14 AM 
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the "Arema" in the IPL is much the same as that league's "Persija." The actual, Aremania-backed Arema Indonesia is in the ISL after yet another shady, PSSI-approved takeover.
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