Players End up in Scratch Games, Clubs Incur Billions in Losses

Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has promised to find a way to resume the Liga 2 and Liga 3. He said he would immediately communicate with PSSI and league operator PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB).

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali (center) received representatives of League 2 clubs and players in an audience at the Kemenpora Office, Jakarta, Monday (16/1/2023).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The discontinuation of matches of Liga 2 and Liga 3, which are Indonesia’s second-tier and third-tier football leagues, respectively, has greatly impacted players and clubs. As a consequence, some players have ended up playing in low-level amateur scratch football competitions, locally known as tarkam games. Clubs are incurring up to billions of rupiah in losses, having been tied to contracts with players, coaches and support staff.

The leagues’ match termination was announced by the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) on Thursday (12/1) in the wake of the deadly Kanjuruhan football tragedy in October 2022.

Liga 2’s PSKC Cimahi midfielder Syahroni said on Monday (16/1/2023) that some players still received salaries but others were no longer paid because the clubs decided to disband following the termination announcement.

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Having to make a living, those who no longer receive a salary focus on running side businesses they started long before. Some have turned to tarkam games to support themselves. As they are held irregularly, tarkam matches have prompted participants to move from one place to another.

“So, tarkam competition does not guarantee players’ regular participation. Nor does it provide enough earnings for daily life. This really affects players’ psychological shape," said Syahroni, a member of the Indonesian Professional Players Association (APPI).

Hopefully for Liga 2 and Liga 3, I can find a way out through communication and persuasion with various related parties.

Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has promised to find a way to resume the two leagues. He said he would immediately communicate with PSSI and league operator PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB).

“I’ve been through [situations like this] several times before, like looking for a way out when the competition was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why the Menpora Cup was held at that time. Hopefully for Liga 2 and Liga 3, I can find a way out through communication and persuasion with various related parties," he said after receiving several representatives of Liga 2 clubs and the APPI at his office in Jakarta on Monday.

Regarding the technical matters of how the two competitions would resume and whether they would be held in the form bubble tournaments as many recommended, he had yet to give details.

ANTARA/HO MO SEMEN PADANG FC

Semen Padang player Pandi Lestaluhu (right) tried to get past PSMS Medan players in the 2022 League 2 West Group match at Teladan Stadium, Monday (26/9/2022).

Top-tier Liga 1’s Persija Jakarta goalkeeper and APPI chairman Andritany Ardhiyasa said the termination of Liga 2 and Liga 3 caused the players to lose playing time that could affect their physical agility and motivation.

APPI members, including those playing in Liga 1, are reportedly urging the resumption of Liga 2 and Liga 3 matches.

“There are no players from Liga 1, Liga 2 or Liga 3 who do not agree with [the idea of resuming] Liga 2 and Liga 3. When the Kanjuruhan tragedy occurred, we queried why only Liga 1 was scrapped. Liga 2 and Liga 3 were later stopped only after we had voiced our protest. Now is the other way around, fellow players from Liga 1 are demanding Liga 2 and Liga 3 carry on," he said.

In the aftermath of the Kanjurahan tragedy, football matches in all divisions resumed in early December.

Financial losses

Liga 2’s Persipura Jayapura manager Yan Permenas Mandenas said not only had the players been affected but the club also suffered huge financial losses with sponsors hesitant to continue partnerships. He said the situation served as a drawback to the spirit of creating a self-sustaining club, which would be enabled only through the support of commercial sponsorship with regional governments no longer apportioning club funds from their budgets.

“Our responsibility to the sponsors is to play out the competition. Now that the competition is not running, [we are concerned] about maintaining that trust. The club can maintain its existence only when the competition runs," he said.

According to Yan, not all clubs have the heart to abruptly terminate players’ contracts as well as those of coaches and support staff. He said Persipura still continued to pay the salaries of around 60 team members, amounting to Rp 10 billion.

"The problem is there is no compensation for this abrupt termination of the league [from the league operator or football association]," he said.

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Liga 2’s Semen Padang CEO Win Bernadino said the financial loss occurred because the club had paid players, coaches and support staff since Liga 2 was temporarily stopped due to the Kanjuruhan tragedy. He said the match suspension had not prompted the club to disband the team in the hope that the competition would see out the season. In fact, it has now experienced another phase of stoppage.

Speaking further about the first phase of halted competition, Win said starting Dec. 2, 2022, Semen Padang team members were given leave, with club management continuing to provide full salaries, but the club had not ruled out possible freezing of disbursement altogether.

No grounds

Claiming that the termination of Liga 2 and Liga 3 matches was not rational, Yan said, apart from meeting with the youth and sports minister, the club also filed a subpoena of the PSSI on Monday, with copies sent to the Asian Football Federation (AFC) and FIFA. He said the club had given PSSI seven days to respond and that a failure to do so would result in the filing of a lawsuit involving FIFA.

"We will carry on with legal proceedings in this matter. We will sue them for material losses we have incurred. Bringing the competition to an end like this should be done with the provision of compensation [from PSSI/LIB] for the clubs. There is no compensation, and the decision was taken unilaterally," he said.

APPI legal division head Jannes H Silitonga said Liga 1 players were irritated by the PSSI’s decision because it possibly raised a notion of them being privileged over fellow players in Liga 2 and Liga 3. He questioned the decision, saying there had be no force majeure to disband Liga 2 and Liga 3 competitions.

This article was translated by Musthofid.