Becoming the General Chairman, Erick Thohir: Only Need Courage to Improve PSSI

Dream - Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir has registered as a candidate for the General Chairman of PSSI for the 2023-2027 period. The former President of Inter Milan said he felt called and had the courage to improve Indonesian football.

"As a fellow countryman, I feel called to change the situation, to straighten what is crooked," said Erick, who registered at the PSSI Office in Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, on Sunday, January 15, 2023.

"What PSSI needs to advance today is the courage to break through limitations and dare to create an ecosystem that supports the growth of the national football industry," he added.

Erick Thohir said that there is a lot of untapped potential for progress that has not emerged as a strength of national football because many dirty hands have influenced the management of PSSI. 

"Today, to advance, PSSI only needs one thing, which is courage," Erick added.

Problems in Indonesian Football

To eliminate negative elements in Indonesian football, Erick added, a leader of PSSI must have courage.

According to him, the problems in Indonesian football have never changed: poor youth development, chaotic league management, integrity and fair play in competitions, and an unprofessional football industry.

"Finding 11 people out of 270 million Indonesian citizens to form a competitive national team is not difficult if we fix all of these things correctly. The national team of a country is only as strong as its league competition. A strong league will produce a strong national team. A weak league will result in a weak national team. Now is the time for our football to move up a level," Erick added.

In improving football, Teddy Thohir's son revealed that football also deals with managerial, business, law enforcement, political will, and support. It is not just about technical aspects of football such as tactics or formations.

Erick Thohir, who is currently involved in the government as a minister, is also known for his extensive experience in the world of football. One of his achievements was becoming the President of Inter Milan, replacing Massimo Moratti.

Inter Milan is one of the biggest clubs in Europe. At that time, Erick improved the management of Inter Milan, which was in decline. He managed to secure investment from Suning Holdings Group from China. 

This step was considered a new breakthrough since the Italian football club had previously seemed closed to foreign investment. The management of Inter Milan was grateful to him.

In Indonesia, Erick is the owner of Mahaka Sports, which organized the 2015 President's Cup to fill the void in competitions after PSSI received a sanction from FIFA. At that time, PSSI was led by La Nyalla. 

Erick also used to be the majority shareholder of DC United, a football club in the United States League.

Interestingly, during the document submission process, Erick was accompanied by young figures such as Kaesang Pangarep, Raffi Ahmad, Atta Halilintar, and Baim Wong, who also wanted to invest in the football industry in the country.

Source: Liputan6.com