Local Indonesian football coaches should be on par with foreign coaches in managing domestic clubs, including those competing in the Super League, which kicks off this weekend.
Moreover, with the myriad of complexities of Indonesian football, "native" domestic coaches are certainly more familiar with the ins and outs of Indonesian football, from developing players from the grassroots to entering professional clubs, so local coaches are worthy of being promoted to manage and compete in the highest caste of the Indonesian League.
However, the local coach's characteristic of utilizing speed and direct attack play, as well as being a mentor to young players developed by the academy, is slowly fading in the top tier of the Indonesian League.
In fact, history records that local coaches have proven their capacity by bringing the clubs they coach to compete for the championship title in the top-tier Indonesian League competition.
Just mention the magic of Rahmat Darmawan who was able to bring the Persipura Jayapura youth team to win the Indonesian League in the 2004/2005 season.
It is also noted that the names of legendary Indonesian coaches have soared since the 1994 era when Persib Bandung was able to lift the championship trophy when coached by Indra Thohir.
Then, the names of other capable Indonesian coaches emerged who were able to lift the Indonesian League trophy, such as Rusdy Bahalwan, Edy Paryono, Syamsuddin Umar, and Sofyan Hadi.
Finally, the Indonesian coach to lead his team to the Indonesian League trophy was Djadjang Nurdjaman. Djanur, as he's known, coached the Maung Bandung squad that performed ferociously and lifted their second trophy in the 2013/2014 season.
After Djanur, Indonesian coaches have lost their magic and power to compete in the top flight. Now, foreign coaches dominate the list of coaches who have successfully lifted the Indonesian League trophy over the past decade.
