Monday, May 29, 2017
Persibat Coach Steps Down Claiming Interference
Persibat aren't a team I have written about much in the 11 years of Jakarta Casual. Since they were founded in 1974 they haven't won any honours and played their football in either the second tier or even lower, They come from the town of Batang on the north coast of Java, not to far from Semarang.
This year sees them play in Group 3 of Liga 2 alongside the likes of PSS, Persijap, PSGC, PSCS, Persibas, Persip and Persibangga. A strong group in a strong liga for sure.
With the Liga taking a rest for the fasting month Persibat are seventh in the eight team group, five points off a play off spot. For now Liga 3 beckons. Yet things shouldn't be all doom and gloom. Persibat boast the second best defence in the group, they have conceded just three goals in their five games; only second place PSS boast a better defence having conceded just a single goal.
Like many teams, Persibat's problems lie at the other end of the field having scored just three goals all season.
Coach Lukas Tumbuan has stepped down and, rarely for an Indonesian coach, has come out against what he perceives to be interference from the club management. He says the management have interfered with the work programme he has tried to introduce and even though he stipulated when he arrived at the club he wouldn't accept any intervention it has, he claims been ongoing.
'I can't keep working under conditions like this,' he said to a local website. 'Better I just quit.'
Despite the talk of intervention in how the club is being run from on high, a number of coaches have been linked with the vacant hot seat. Among them is Daniel Roekito who guided Persik to the Liga Indonesia title back in 2006 and saw them they in the AFC Asian Champions League the following season.
As for Lukas? Having burnished his credentials work with the West Java side at the National Games he is being linked with a couple of Liga 2 sides so shouldn't be out of the game for too long.
# posted by Me @ 8:58 AM 
