Persis Solo are scrambling to find an alternative venue following their 2-2 draw with Persija Jakarta in Saturday’s Liga 1 Indonesia action, which was the last match played at their Manahan Stadium before the venue’s sterilization in the build-up towards the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The Manahan Stadium was chosen as one of the four venues that will host this year’s U-17 World Cup, alongside the Jakarta International Stadium in North Jakarta, the Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Soreang, Bandung Regency, and the Gelora Bung Tomo in Surabaya. The Manahan will host all but one of Group B’s matches, one Group A match, one round of 16 match, two quarterfinal matches, as well as the semifinals, the third place play-off, and the final.
With that in mind, it was required for the Manahan to be sterilized from all activities for at least a month before the start of the U-17 World Cup on November 10th.
During this sterilization period as well as the U-17 World Cup, Persis will play three home games – against Bhayangkara Presisi Indonesia FC on October 29th, PSS Sleman on November 11th, and Madura United on December 3rd.
This meant that Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Persija was Persis’ last home game at the Manahan for a while until at least mid-December.
With Persis being unable to use their home ground for a while, the Laskar Sambernyawa management has been mulling a number of alternative venues to be used for the time being.
However, the club’s most viable option, the Maguwoharjo Stadium in Sleman, has been ruled out as league regulations stipulate that no more than two teams can share a single stadium, with the Maguwoharjo having been used by both PSS and RANS Nusantara FC this season.
Another viable candidate is the Kebo Giro Stadium in Boyolali, which is being used by Liga 3 team Persebi Boyolali and Liga 2 side Nusantara United.
“The management are still figuring out which stadium to be used as Persis’ temporary home,” said Persis media officer Bryan Barcelona, as quoted from Suara.com, “We also need consideration from the LIB (league operator PT Liga Indonesia Baru). Including facilities such as lights, access to the stadium, and so on. I think new options will emerge when there is further coordination.”
“For options, we are still looking for the best option,” continued Bryan, “If possible, we want a venue where we can maximize our home support. There are several options to consider, and we are also considering playing within the Greater Solo locale.”
And while Bryan did not specify which venue that Persis could use, possible temporary stadiums other than the Kebo Giro include PSIM Yogyakarta’s Mandala Krida Stadium, Persiba Bantul’s Sultan Agung Stadium, and PPSM Magelang’s Moch. Soebroto Stadium.
Bryan also ruled out the possibility of utilizing the smaller Sriwedari Stadium as Persis’ temporary home, as they did in their Matchweek 5 game against Arema FC. This was due to the Sriwedari being set to be used as a training pitch for the upcoming U-17 World Cup.