The Phenomenon of Club Buying and Selling and the Evaporation of Indonesian Football's Identity

The name change of Persikas Subang to Sumsel United is one of the decisions made at the congress of the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) in Jakarta on June 4, 2025. Not only has the name changed, but the domicile of the club from Subang has also automatically moved to Palembang. Thus, Sumsel United is officially established after acquiring Persikas Subang, a team that has been part of Subang's football history since 1951.

In addition to Persikas Subang, the ordinary congress of PSSI also decided on six other clubs that changed their names and relocated. Quoted from the Bola Sport website, the six clubs are Bhayangkara Presisi FC (Surabaya) which became Bhayangkara Presisi Lampung FC (Bandar Lampung), Tornado FC Pekanbaru (Pekanbaru) which became Kendal Tornado FC (Kendal), PS Maluku (Ambon) which changed its name to Kediri United (Kediri), Sumut United (Medan) which transformed into Pesikad (Depok), NZR Sumbersari (Malang) which became Persikutim United (Kutai Timur), and PSKC Cimahi (Cimahi) which rebranded as Garudayaksa FC (Bekasi).

Looking back, the practice of buying and selling football clubs in Indonesia has been carried out by many teams with a long history. One of the transfer practices that was widely discussed among national football fans was the move of Persijatim Solo FC to Palembang in 2004. The club then changed its name to Persijatim Sriwijaya FC before ultimately becoming Sriwijaya FC.

Persijatim Solo FC was purchased by the South Sumatra Provincial Government in 2004 for a value of Rp 6 billion, making it one of the highest-value transactions in the history of football in the country. This transaction marked the second relocation of the Persijatim club. Established in 1976, the club was previously based in Jakarta before ultimately moving to Solo in 2001.

This trail was then widely followed by other teams that were required to be professional and financially independent without relying on regional budgets. Bali United, a team that successfully won the Liga 1 championship in 2019 and 2021/2022, is one of the teams formed as a result of a club acquisition. Bali United was previously the Persisam Samarinda team. In 2015, this team changed ownership and became the club now known as Bali United.

A similar situation occurred with Madura United. The team, which occupies the second position in Liga 1 for the 2023/2024 season, was previously known as Pelita Bandung Raya. This club also once merged with Persipasi Bekasi to become Persipasi Bandung Raya. However, due to financial issues, the club was eventually sold in 2016 and changed its name to Madura United.

The club that once drew attention for suddenly emerging in the top tier of the Indonesian League is PS TNI and Bhayangkara FC. PS TNI is the continuation of Persiram Raja Ampat, which was acquired in 2016.

Meanwhile, Bhayangkara FC has a convoluted historical record. Previously, this team was known as Persikubar Kutai Barat. During the dualism of the Indonesian League in 2011-2012, Persikubar changed its name to Persebaya. However, due to issues regarding the club's name, this team was renamed Bonek FC in 2015, until it eventually became Bhayangkara Surabaya United in 2016. Today, this team is known as Bhayangkara FC and has previously won the Liga 1 championship in 2017.

Lastly, the top-tier club that is also a result of acquisition is Malut United. This club was previously known as Putra Delta Sidoarjo and then changed ownership in 2023 to become Malut United. In the 2024/2025 season, Malut United surprised many by securing third place in Liga 1 with the status of a promoted team.

The main cause of the practice of buying and selling club licenses in Indonesia is financial issues. Since the prohibition of using regional budgets through the Minister of Home Affairs Regulation Number 1 of 2011, many clubs have faced financial difficulties. The lack of sponsorship support in the regions has become one of the fundamental factors contributing to these financial problems. As a result, as a shortcut to resolving financial issues, the buying and selling of clubs has become a solution.

Recently, this financial issue has been experienced by Persikas Subang. The club, which is deeply ingrained in the minds of the community and has become an identity of the Subang region, has a debt of IDR 9 billion. In order to settle this debt, the management was ultimately forced to sell the club, which has now been renamed Sumsel United. This team will compete in Liga 2 for the 2025/2026 season.

Financial issues are also experienced by other teams, one of which is Perseru Serui. The team, which once represented Papua in the highest tier of Indonesian football, faced financial problems before ultimately being sold and renamed Badak Lampung FC in 2019.

Particularly for teams outside major cities, living independently relying on sponsorship and souvenir sales is indeed difficult to achieve. That is why these teams ultimately face financial problems, accumulating debts amounting to billions of rupiah.

On one hand, the acquisition or sale of these clubs has a positive impact as it successfully saves teams that were at risk of not being able to compete in professional competitions. Several clubs resulting from acquisitions have also appeared to succeed after receiving financial injections under new ownership structures, such as Sriwijaya FC, Bhayangkara FC, Borneo FC, and Malut United.

On the other hand, this condition also threatens the identity of football in Indonesia if it continues to occur uncontrollably. New clubs with substantial capital can seek opportunities to compete in the Indonesian League without having to go through tiered competitions from the lower divisions. Another impact is that clubs may lose their historical identity and support base along with the change in the club's identity.

This condition has been felt by several clubs, such as Bhayangkara FC and PS TNI, which do not have a support base. Football clubs without a potential support base will impact the financial condition of the clubs in the future, considering that football supporters play a crucial role in securing sponsorships and generating club revenue.

The practice of buying and selling clubs in Indonesia continues to occur this year. This situation has drawn the attention of football enthusiasts in the country, considering that one by one, clubs with a long history are changing ownership, names, and even their regional bases. (LITBANG KOMPAS)

Read tomorrow: Football Club Licensing, between Professionalism and Business Loopholes