PSSI Chief Says Indonesian Football League Quality Is Improving and Supporting the Economy

Indonesian football’s league quality is improving year by year, PSSI chairman Erick Thohir said at a press conference for the 2026/2027 BRI Super League season in Jakarta.

Erick attributed the progress to cooperation among the football organisation, league operator, sponsors, participating clubs, broadcasters and supporters. “We are a football country, so we cannot build football separately. Stakeholders must act as one, and the league must be clean,” he said.

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We are a football country, so we cannot build football separately. Stakeholders must act as one, and the league must be clean.

He highlighted accurate refereeing and consistency from clubs as priorities for further improvement. In his view, those factors could raise the standing of Indonesia’s football league internationally.

Erick also presented the BRI Super League as part of Indonesia’s sports industry, with an impact on the national economy. Better league quality, he said, must be matched by financially healthy clubs, including through commercialisation. “We cannot build a league while its clubs are unhealthy. Improving the clubs’ quality can help increase their revenue,” he said.

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We cannot build a league while its clubs are unhealthy. Improving the clubs’ quality can help increase their revenue.

He said league and club revenues had increased over time and called for a more even distribution of strength among professional clubs. Football, he argued, should be viewed not as a financial burden but as a sustainable investment. “I always encourage the view that sport is not a cost, but an investment. It is an investment that generates revenue for many parties. The more healthy clubs there are, the more competitive the league becomes, and the more spectators it attracts,” he said.

The Jakarta event included remarks from PSSI, I League, Bank Rakyat Indonesia and Emtek Media executives. Organisers also held a BRI jersey signing, launched the official ball and unveiled the season’s theme song, “Indonesia Shines,” performed by The Next AJS.

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I always encourage the view that sport is not a cost, but an investment. It is an investment that generates revenue for many parties. The more healthy clubs there are, the more competitive the league becomes, and the more spectators it attracts.