Persija Jakarta have sacked head coach Angelo Alessio from his position on Wednesday, after a disappointing showing throughout the 2021/22 Liga 1 Indonesia season. Boasting a star-studded squad that is the 4th most expensive squad in the Liga 1, Persija were touted as favorites to win the league this season, however, the Macan Kemayoran are now 8th in the league with 29 points, 14 points off league leaders Bhayangkara FC.
Italian head coach Angelo was brought into Persija with a glittering CV to his name. The 56-year old have previously served as an assistant to Antonio Conte at Siena, Juventus, the Italy national team, and Chelsea, before attempting to make a name for himself in Scottish football with Kilmarnock, where he oversaw an embarrassing exit from the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Welsh minnows Connah Quay’s Nomads.
It was hoped that Angelo’s experience in European football could help a star-studded Persija side seeking to win this season’s Liga 1 title. Having won the 2020 Menpora Cup, optimism was high in the Persija camp especially since they’ve managed to retain a good chunk of their key players. which include talismanic striker Marko Simic, exciting winger Riko Simanjuntak, up-and-coming talent Osvaldo Haay, and veteran Italian defender Marco Motta, formerly of Juventus and AS Roma.
Unfortunately despite their excellent pre-season and illustrious playing squad, Persija found themselves underperforming severely halfway through the Liga 1 season. Although Persija have notched some impressive results – being the first team to beat arch-rivals Persib Bandung this season and battering PSM Makassar 3-0 – more often than not Persija found themselves drawing games that they should’ve easily won, while succumbing to defeats that should’ve been avoided here and there.
The mid-season transfer window saw Persija bringing in the likes of Makan Konate, Ichsan Kurniawan, and Ahmad Bustomi among others, however, the Macan Kemayoran continue to stagnate into the second half of the season, with their inability to beat relegation battlers Persipura Jayapura (2-1 defeat) and Persela Lamongan (1-1 draw) proving to be the final straw for the Persija management.
With Angelo receiving the ax, assistant coach Sudirman was once again entrusted with the role of caretaker head coach while the Persija management is seeking someone new to fill in that position. While Sudirman had led Persija to the 2020 Menpora Cup title, his credentials aren’t adequate enough to work in the Liga 1, meaning that a more permanent head coach must be found as soon as possible.
Former Johor Darul Ta’zim, Persib, Arema FC, and Borneo FC head coach Roberto Carlos Mario Gomez is currently being strongly linked with the Persija vacancy, so are former Indonesia national team head coach Luis Milla, former PSIS Semarang head coach Imran Nahumarury, Umm Salal head coach Sergio Farias, former PSS Sleman head coach Dejan Antonic, and former Barito Putera head coach Djajang Nurdjaman.