New Indonesia football chief has work cut out as he seeks to shake things up: Experts

JAKARTA: The appointment of state-owned enterprises minister Erick Thohir as Indonesia’s new football association chief has injected optimism into the sports fraternity but there are also steep challenges ahead as he seeks to overhaul the entire ecosystem, experts said.

The country’s football scene has been marred by various problems for decades, including match-fixing scandals, crowd trouble and infrastructure woes. 

A total of 135 people were killed in Malang, East Java in October last year when police fired teargas into a packed stadium after supporters invaded the pitch following the loss of Malang’s home team Arema FC against rival Persebaya Surabaya. 

The disaster led to calls for members of the football association to resign. In late February, the Indonesian football association (PSSI) elected Mr Thohir as its new chief. His appointment is until 2027.

Former national football player and retired coach Djadjang Nurdjaman told CNA that he believes in Mr Thohir’s capabilities.   "Erick Tohir is very experienced in the world of football, and he has good intentions to clean it up.”

Jakarta-based football analyst Justinus Lhaksana noted that the minister is the best choice among a limited pool of candidates. 

The former national futsal head coach and commentator for several sports shows, who is also known as Coach Justin, said Mr Thohir’s managerial capabilities and experience in owning football clubs would help him thrive as the new PSSI head. 

He said: “I am the most optimistic with this new head. But whether he can solve all the problems, most likely not.”

After his appointment, Mr Thohrir pledged to overhaul the entire football ecosystem in Indonesia.

“We will have a blueprint for medium-term and long-term, and this is our