Thursday, April 16, 2015
Acair's Dilemma Sums Up Persija's Woes
Alan Aciar is exactly the kind of player Indonesian football, in an ideal world, should be trying to attract. For a start the Argentine defender is 27 years old. He still has a future in the game, he has something to play for even if it is just more of a journeyman career where he has done little to scale the heights of unknowness.
So why has he been tweeting the following?
So why has he been tweeting the following?
I thing the Last week in jakarta...
23 retweets
2 favorites
I don't no what i do in this Situation, stay In here or go home...
20 retweets
0 favorites
A plaintive cry to leave. Doubtless Aciar is torn between his responsibilities as a professional footballer and the ludicrous situation he finds himself in Indonesia/
On paper it would have looked like a good move. Big club, passionate fans, thrilling league, what is not to like? And when your early experiences include friendlies in front of 80,000 fans hey baby, this has to be the life right?
Wrong. Unfortunately Aciar signed for Persija a club whose finances are never the best. Even their favourite son, Bambang Pamungkas, walked away for a couple of seasons because of delays in salary payments. Getting your money has long been an issue at a club that boasts one of the highest attendances not just in Indonesia but throughout South East Asia.
Weeks into the pre season and there were mumblings about money woes but Persija passed the criteria set down by both the PSSI and BOPI with flying colours. Despite having no money. And, as an aisde, despite not having a stadium confirmed for the first two home games of the season (Bung Karno not available due to a gathering of world leaders).
On the one hand Persija were hosting former Asian Champions League champions Gamba Osaka in a game organised by the Japanese club's sponsors, on the other they were pulling out of a competition in Bali because they had no money.
Other friendlies were ostensibly cancelled because the squad were carrying too many injuries; and this before a ball had been kicked in anger!
The season did get under way and the club managed to find enough money to get down to East Java for a couple of away games but in each case they dropped points after conceding goals in the last minute.
The league was then stopped after BOPI issued a warning Arema and Persebaya could not continue because of ownership disputes. Persija were not deemed to be a problem, at least by those official types.
Then came news Persija players were refusing to train in protest at not receiving any of the money they were owned. The return of Bambang had come back to bite the club on the bum. Not only is he the most popular player in football, he is extremely articulate and a member of the Indonesia Professional Footballers Union, the official players union recognised by FIFA.
His team mate Ismed Sofyan by the way is also/was also member of APSI, a tame players' union formed by the PSSI!
With the players now informed of their rights it seems they have had enough and downed tools, or downed shinpads. Reports seem to be indicating they have been given time off in the absence of any competitive games but insiders seem to suggest the payers have just niet. Nein. Non.
The club just sit and whine, saying they are waiting for cash from their sponsors. There seems to be little initiative being shown, no one saying let's use this break to organise a lucrative friendly; the club like many in Indonesia lacks any kind of entrepreneurial zeal.
Instead of building on that 80,000 attendance earlier in the year the club took to playing pointless friendlies on fields pub sides in England would moan about.
Against that little lot, little wonder Acair has taken to social media to express his disquiet. It's a shame more players don't take his lead...
# posted by Me @ 7:31 PM 
