Persija Jakarta Sees Regeneration Plan Under Shin Tae-yong

4 hours ago 4

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Persija Jakarta football club enters the 2026/2027 season with a focus on regeneration. The success of the U-20 team in winning the Elite Pro Academy championship marks the entrance of several young talents into the main squad. At the same time, the Macan Kemayoran club still relies on experienced national-level players to bridge the team during the transition process.

The arrival of the new coach, Shin Tae-yong, is expected to expedite this process, where he hopefully could blend both the young and experienced players to keep Persija competitive throughout the season.

One of the players projected to play a significant role is 24-year-old striker Witan Sulaeman. He had previously worked with Shin in the Indonesian national team and believes that experience will help him assist the young players in adapting to the team.

"I am very enthusiastic about Coach Shin Tae-yong's arrival at Persija," said Witan on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at a meet and greet event.

Despite his past experience with Shin Tae-yong, Witan acknowledged that the working atmosphere in the club will be different from the national team.

"In the national team, we only gather for tournaments, whereas in Persija, we will have lengthy training and competition seasons," he said, adding that Shin's presence hopefully could allow Persija to compete for the championship this season.

On the other hand, the regeneration of Persija is evident with Rayhan Hannan. The 21-year-old midfielder consistently performed last season, scoring eight goals and seven assists across all competitions. This impressive performance led to Persija extending his contract for another three seasons.

Witan Sulaiman and two of his Persija Jakarta teammates in a meet-and-greet event with Persija and Indofood at Jakarta Fair Kemayoran on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. TEMPO/Burhanuddin Maajid.

For Rayhan, the decision to stay is closely tied to his affinity with Jakarta. "Persija and Jakarta have always been my home because I am Jakartan," he said. "Hopefully, we can be champions next season."

Another prospect comes in the form of Fabio Azka Irawan. The young defender who was part of the U-20 Persija team that won the Elite Pro Academy hopes to break into the first team regularly this season.

Witan believes that the presence of young players will strengthen the squad's depth. He mentioned that experienced players are ready to help the academy graduates adapt.

With Shin Tae-yong as the new coach, young players forged by their experience from the academy, and veteran figures like Witan, Persija hopes to once again compete at the top of Liga 1. This ambition is further fueled by the upcoming 500th anniversary of Jakarta in June 2027.

Read: Shin Tae-yong Eyes Reunion With Former Indonesia Stars at Persija

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