PSSI Chairman Thohir Welcomes Shin Tae-yong's Move to Persija Jakarta

Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) Chairman Erick Thohir expressed his approval of Shin Tae-yong joining Persija Jakarta as head coach. Thohir views Shin's presence in the domestic league as a significant boost to the quality of Indonesian football.

"It's good. Because our league's ranking has risen from 25 to 16, if I'm not mistaken. Our target is to reach the top 10. Recently, commercially, our league was ranked first in Southeast Asia," Thohir told reporters. He believes that more quality coaches in the league will elevate its standard, potentially helping it break into the top 10 globally.

Shin Tae-yong's departure from the national team in January 2025 concluded a five-year term marked by several achievements. These include qualifying three national teams for the Asian Cup, reaching the Round of 16 in the 2023 Asian Cup, securing fourth place in the 2024 U23 Asian Cup, and advancing to the third round of the 2027 World Cup Qualifiers. Under his guidance, the national team's world ranking improved from 173 to 129.

After his contract with PSSI ended, Shin held positions as deputy general secretary of the Korea Football Association and Director of Football at Seongnam FC before a short coaching spell at Ulsan HD. His new role at Persija Jakarta marks his fourth coaching position after his extensive tenure with the Indonesian national team.