Recruited by PT Liga Indonesia Baru, Here's a Look at Takeyuki Oya's Big Plans for Liga Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Amidst criticism and demands for improvements in Indonesian professional competition, PT Liga Indonesia Baru has finally recruited a foreign figure to fill a strategic position. He is Takeyuki Oya, an experienced individual who has managed the Japanese League for 16 years.

Oya is the first foreign professional recruited by PT LIB to undertake a crucial role in the management of competitions in Indonesia, ranging from Liga 1 to Liga Nusantara (Liga 3). In fact, since PSSI introduced professional leagues in 1994-1995, Oya can also be regarded as the first foreign official within the scope of domestic competition operators.

Oya was introduced directly by the President Director of PT LIB Ferry Paulus and the Operational Director of PT LIB Asep Saputra. He holds the position of General Manager of Competition and Operations at PT LIB.

The announcement of Oya's presence was made at the opening of the general meeting of shareholders of PT LIB, on Monday (7/7/2025), in Jakarta. The annual agenda welcoming the new competition season was also attended by the Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir.

Ferry revealed that the recruitment of Oya has been initiated for the past two years. The selection of Oya is closely related to his extensive experience in managing the J.League, also known as the Japanese League, which is one of the best football competitions in Asia.

"We chose Oya as a manifestation of the transformation process. We are not averse to better changes, so Oya can make a significant contribution to Indonesia's competition while also facilitating knowledge transfer," said Ferry.

Furthermore, Ferry mentioned Oya's main duties. "Oya's scope of work will significantly touch on the operational systems in the league, particularly those requiring transformation. We want the competition managed by PT LIB to be more efficient and increasingly professional," he stated.

Erick also welcomed Oya's presence. The former President of Inter Milan emphasized that improvements to the competition through crucial breakthroughs will be initiated by PT LIB in collaboration with Oya, thus he urged the national football public to be patient while awaiting the results of the league transformation, which requires a process.

"Oya is here to assist in improving our league. He can see the great potential of Indonesian football. We hope that the community and supporters share the same commitment to provide opportunities for our football to be developed," said Erick.

Oya began to take on a significant role in the J.League since the end of the 2000s decade. The last position he held was General Manager of the International Department of the J.League.

The position relinquished by Oya at the end of 2024 primarily focused on assisting in the improvement of the professional competition system in Japan from J1 to J3. In addition, Oya also played a role in developing the image of the J.League in the Asian region. One of his notable contributions was serving as a representative of the J.League who signed a memorandum of understanding with the Qatar League in 2019.

"Indonesia has great potential through its large population and extraordinary love for football. Indonesian football is also supported by a strong commitment from stakeholders to continue development," said Oya.

During his tenure in the J.League, Oya was also known as a thinker and executor who implemented the path towards Japan's grand dream of becoming the champion of the World Cup in 2050. To realize this dream, the J.League plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of the league as a "factory" for players and coaches of the Japanese national team.

In order to become a world champion, the J.League must first rank among the top four best competitions in the world by 2030. Unlike China and Saudi Arabia, which bring in expensive players from Europe, Japan is genuinely building its competition to produce clubs that consistently develop the best local players, supported by sound financial practices.

With that experience, Oya has a great opportunity to adopt many of the practices he has implemented in the J.League for the Indonesian League. The primary and foremost idea that Oya has the potential to realize at PT LIB—referring to his work history in the J.League—is to mandate a genuine commitment from professional teams to develop their own academies starting from U-15 to U-18.

Although there is an Elite Pro Academy (EPA) U-16 competition for Liga 1 teams, the formation of this youth squad is not carried out organically by the clubs. Most clubs partner with football schools to transform the SSB banner into a representation of the club in the EPA.

In the Oya era, the J.League also initiated regulations requiring each professional team to include two homegrown players and one player under the age of U-21 to participate in the league. This significant opportunity for local players to develop in the competitive environment of the Japanese League has made Japan the largest exporter of footballers from Asia.

Referring to data from the CIES Football Observatory in May 2024, a total of 195 Japanese-trained players are playing outside the "Land of the Rising Sun." In leagues across Asia, Japan has sent more than 60 of its football expatriates. This quantity is only surpassed by Brazil, France, and Spain.

The second idea from Oya refers to his good performance while in the J.League, which includes promoting a club management system and healthier financial development for clubs. The J.League prohibits clubs from being owned by individual owners or single companies.

The club also has the responsibility to formulate a long-term plan for two aspects. First, to nurture the best talents. Second, to have social responsibility, thereby establishing a close connection with the local community.

The connection between clubs and the communities from which they originate encourages consistent stadium attendance during Japanese League matches. As a result, the financial aspect of the clubs can thrive due to the collaboration between the clubs and their supporters, such as matchday services, merchandise sales, and other commercial activities of the clubs.

Based on Transfermarkt data, the Japanese League has the highest average audience in Asia with 20,083 spectators per game in the 2024 season. That number is more than China, India, Australia, and South Korea.

The hope for an increasingly professional Indonesian League rests on Oya. It is to be hoped that there is no resistance to the changes initiated and implemented by this professional figure from Japan.