Team Webmaster : PSSI chairman Erick Thohir considers it reasonable to disagree about the naturalization of footballers from abroad to strengthen the Indonesian national team.
“I think in the era of democracy, dissent is understandable,” said Erick at the Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Jakarta, Thursday.
Erick said that the naturalization policy was taken because PSSI and the Indonesian government had a target to improve the achievements of Indonesian football.
In addition, he also emphasized that the naturalization process does not violate the rules of either the country or the International Football Federation (FIFA).
Naturalized players also have the main requirement that must be of Indonesian descent. This policy has been implemented since South Korean tactician Shin Tae-yong coached Indonesia in 2019.
Read also: DPR RI approves naturalization of Eliano Reijnders-Mees Hilgers so far, in the Shin era, only goalkeeper Maarten Paes did not have Indonesian blood. However, Paes ‘ grandmother was born in Kediri, East Java.
“PSSI and the government want the best Indonesian talents abroad to strengthen the Indonesian national team,” said Erick.
Naturalization, the man who is also the minister of SOEs continued, is commonly done in other countries. For example, Italy naturalized Argentine Mateo Retegui to strengthen their national team. Before that, the Italian national team had also strengthened naturalized players such as Mauro Camoranesi and Thiago Motta.
The Spanish national team has also had naturalized players from Brazil, for example Diego Costa and Marcos Senna.
“Football is a global entity and is always open to naturalization as long as it follows FIFA rules,” said Erick Thohir.
Throughout the period Shin Tae-yong coached the Indonesian national team, there were 14 players who were naturalized to strengthen the national team, namely Jordi Amat, Marc Klok, Shayne Pattynama, Sandy Walsh, Rafael Struick, Ivar Jenner, Nathan Tjoe-A-On, Justin Hubner, Ragnar Oratmangoen, Thom Haye, Jens Raven, Jay Idzes, Calvin Verdonk and Maarten Paes.
Currently, there are two other players who are in the middle of naturalization is underway namely Eliano Reijnders and Mees Hilgers. Their naturalization has been agreed upon by the House of Representatives and just waiting for the issuance of a Presidential Decree (Keppres) from President Joko Widodo which will be followed by the swearing of Allegiance as an Indonesian citizen.