From Madura Mart to Indonesia’s Clown in Asia?

When Madura United was announced as Indonesia’s representative in Asian competition, expectations and pride should have soared. As the runner-up of the 2023/2024 BRI Liga 1 season, Laskar Sapeh Kerrab earned a spot in the AFC Challenge League 2024/2025, Asia’s third-tier club competition. However, instead of becoming a symbol of national pride and a testament to Indonesian football’s prowess, Madura United appears woefully unprepared for this significant challenge.

Instead of preparing carefully, Madura United seems to be taking this golden opportunity too lightly. Their lack of serious preparation and some controversial decisions have made many doubt their ability to compete on the Asian stage. Key players have been let go without finding suitable replacements, an inexperienced coach has been hired, and they are even borrowing Persebaya’s Gelora Bung Tomo stadium as their home ground—all signs of a lack of readiness and commitment.

Many predict that Madura United will not only fail to shine but might also become the “clown” of Asia in this tournament. Rather than bringing pride, their participation in the AFC Challenge League could end up embarrassing Indonesia on the international stage. It’s ironic considering their status as one of the top teams in the domestic league.

francisco rivera

As of now, Madura United has announced a major clear-out, releasing 21 of their star players. This means nearly the entire squad that brought the club to a runner-up finish in the 2023/24 BRI Liga 1 season has been let go without compensation. This move is not only shocking but also deeply disappointing to fans and national football enthusiasts alike. Francisco Rivera, who was named the best player in Liga 1, now wears the Persebaya jersey. Similarly, Madura United’s local top scorer, Malik Risaldi, has also moved to Persebaya.

The departures don’t end with local talent. Foreign players like Cleberson, Junior Brandao, and Alexvan Djin have also left the club. Madura United now looks like a lower-tier team that signs players on short-term deals, far from the image of a professional club ready to compete in Asia against the continent’s best teams. This decision is not just regrettable but also embarrassing. To make matters worse, they have yet to quickly find replacements for these key players.

In response, Madura United has appointed Widodo C. Putro as head coach. However, this appointment brings little hope. Widodo C. Putro’s mediocre track record in national football makes this move seem half-hearted. While other clubs are strengthening their squads for Asian competition, Madura United seems to be moving backward.

This situation further highlights Madura United’s lack of seriousness in facing the significant challenges of Asian competition. Instead of preparing diligently, they seem to ignore the importance of upholding Indonesia’s reputation on the international stage. How can a club that has just released most of its key players and has not quickly sought adequate replacements be expected to compete against the best teams in Asia?

It’s no surprise that Madura United finds itself in such a dire state. The chaos within the club stems from the involvement of its owner in a corruption scandal. Madura United is mired in controversy surrounding club president Achsanul Qosasi. This man from Sumenep is involved in a corruption case with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology’s (Kominfo) 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS). In the latest trial, it was revealed that a staggering $2.64 million, or approximately 40 billion IDR, was funneled into his team.

This case has significantly impacted the team’s condition. The corrupt funds have been the main driver of Madura United’s football operations. However, as the saying goes, ill-gotten gains bring about ill consequences. This is evident in the current, dismal state of Madura United. The team is in disarray and stands to embarrass Indonesian football on the Asian stage. There is no optimism for this team’s future performance.

In fact, within the next year or two, we might see Madura United relegated to the lower tiers of Indonesian football. This situation starkly shows that some Indonesian clubs are nothing more than political tools or money-laundering fronts. Look at other examples like Sriwijaya FC, Persipura Jayapura, PSMS Medan, and PSPS Pekanbaru, where the club owners have also been implicated in corruption scandals. And now, where are these clubs?

The Indonesian representatives in this Asian competition are facing troubling preparation periods. History has shown that Indonesian clubs often struggle with similar issues, recalling the challenges previously faced by Arema and PSM Makassar in Asian tournaments.

Currently, Madura United is being compared to other clubs that have undergone significant roster changes. A stark example can be seen with Bali United in their second season and Persija in 2019, where the release of star players such as Jamerson and Renan Silva led to disappointing results.

Without significant changes and serious efforts in preparation, Madura United will struggle to compete at the Asian level and will merely add to the long list of Indonesian clubs that have failed to meet expectations on the international stage.

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