Bernardo Tavares, the Portuguese Maestro who preserved "Siri na Pacce" at PSM Makassar

The "siri' na pacce" philosophy, which has been held by the PSM Makassar squad for generations, has instilled itself in Bernardo Tavares. Like a pinisi captain, Tavares has never let "Juku Eja" sink during his time in charge, even though it has never escaped the waves of problems every season.

The BRI Super League 2025-2026 has just entered its sixth week, but the condition of PSM resembles that of an unfit individual. It began with delays in resolving the FIFA transfer sanction case, followed by the emergence of a controversy regarding delayed salaries.

Before facing Persija Jakarta, Tavares revealed that some of his staff had not received their due payments for almost five months.

"Since the first season, there have always been difficulties, such as delayed salaries, postponed bonuses, and also delayed advances," said Tavares at a press conference ahead of the match against Persija, Saturday (20/9/2029).

He stated that cases like this should not occur in the realm of professional football. Despite striving to provide the best commitment, the untimely payment of rights has disturbed the thoughts of himself, the coaching staff, and the players.

"When there was a staff member of mine who could not have dinner last week because they did not have money, and then there was someone whose salary has been delayed for nearly five months. This is a complicated situation because I and several team members are far from our families," said the tactician from Portugal.

However, Tavares and his squad demonstrated a great love for the pinisi emblem on their chests. They secured their first victory in the BRI Super League 2025-2026 by defeating their eternal rival, Persija Jakarta, 2-0, at the Gelora BJ Habibie Stadium, Parepare, South Sulawesi, on Sunday (21/9/2025) evening.

Goals from their two latest foreign players, Savio Roberto (in the 56th minute) and Abu Kamara (89'), secured PSM's first victory over Persija in Parepare.

The last time PSM was able to pounce on "Macan Kemayoran" was during the 2017 Liga 1 edition. At that time, Juku Eja was still based at the Mattoanging Stadium in Makassar, South Sulawesi. Now, the stadium, which was built for the National Sports Week (PON) edition of 1957, has been reduced to rubble.

The positive result in the first match of the season certainly motivates Yuran Fernandes and his teammates to gradually improve their ranking. Meanwhile, PSM is sitting in 14th place with a total of six points. They are only two positions away from the relegation zone.

Tavares seems to hold fast to the philosophy of the Bugis and Makassar people, siri’ na pacce.

PSM may not be a strong contender for the championship in Indonesia this season, but Tavares has proven that his team has the potential to at least compete for a ticket to the Asian club competition. To achieve this, PSM must finish in the top two positions.

"I feel relieved that we finally won and moved out of the bottom of the standings. This team does not deserve to be at the bottom because all the staff and players work hard to always pursue positive results," said Tavares in a conference after the match against Persija.

Regardless of non-technical obstacles, Tavares acknowledged that his team will always bring joy to all loyal supporters of PSM. "We are not in an ideal situation, but we want to achieve victory to experience joy like this," he stated.

Jordi Amat, the central defender of Persija, acknowledged the superiority of PSM. "PSM played very strongly throughout the match. This is a well-deserved victory for them," said Jordi, who is also a key defender for the Indonesian national team.

Not only in the match against Persija, but in the three previous seasons, Tavares has proven himself unwavering in giving his all for PSM under various conditions.

Tavares is the first foreign coach to lead PSM to the championship title of the Indonesian League in the 2022-2023 season. A season later, PSM found itself struggling in 11th place. Tavares, who began his coaching career as a team analyst, then guided PSM to finish in sixth place in the 2024-2025 edition.

Although the delay in salary is akin to a latent issue at PSM, he continues to honor the contract that will conclude at the end of the 2025-2026 season. He is not like most foreign coaches in the Indonesian League who choose to leave when salaries are delayed. In fact, amidst these limitations, he has produced a new star for PSM.

In the first two seasons, he assisted the Sayuri brothers, Yakob and Yance, in breaking into the Indonesian national team. Now, Juku Eja has a new potential star in Victor Dethan and Ricky Pratama.

Victor and Dethan have been entrusted by the coach of the Indonesian U-23 football team, Gerald Vanenburg, to participate in two international tournaments in 2025.

It's no wonder that Tavares seems to adhere firmly to the Bugis and Makassarese philosophy of "siri' na pacce." The distance of Makassar to Proenca-a-Nova, Tavares' hometown, approximately 13,500 kilometers, doesn't prevent the 45-year-old coach from understanding the philosophy of the South Sulawesi community and PSM.

Siri means steadfastness in maintaining self-respect. Pacce, on the other hand, is the virtue of prioritizing the common good. This philosophy is often imprinted on PSM jerseys.

Tavares' struggle for PSM on the green field is not an exaggeration to be compared to the patriotic story of Sultan Hasanuddin, who defended the territory of the Gowa-Tallo Sultanate from the onslaught of the VOC, the Dutch East India Company, from 1666 to 1669.

Also, the forgotten heroic story of Daeng Mangalle, nephew of Sultan Hasanuddin, who defended siri by fighting the King of Ayutthaya in Siam (Thailand) who was instigated by the western army.

Today, the fame of the story of Daeng Mangalle remains preserved in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The area that was once a settlement for residents from Makassar in Siam continues to retain the name of the largest city in Eastern Indonesia, specifically the Makassan District in Bangkok.

Even if he fails to secure the championship title in his final season at PSM, Tavares deserves to be eternally remembered in the history of Juku Eja. One league title and his loyalty in guiding the team during difficult times are the foundations of his legacy.