Bojan Hodak Comments on Foreign Players' Impact on Super League Competition

BANDUNG, KOMPAS.com - A fierce title race between two teams was ultimately won by Persib Bandung, with Borneo FC Samarinda forced to settle for second place. Both Persib and Borneo FC finished with 79 points, but Persib held the head-to-head advantage over Pesut Etam. Persib coach Bojan Hodak said Borneo FC lacked luck despite Fabio Lefundes’ side enjoying a fantastic season with strong performances in every match. Persib and their Bobotoh fans were left on tenterhooks during the final matchweek. “They don’t have luck. They have a good team but no luck,” Hodak stated. Hodak believes each team must now field at least five quality local players ready for action. He acknowledged that this strength is evenly distributed across all league competitors, with the Indonesian league now more developed than previous seasons. “Look, this season is tougher because every team has seven foreign players on the pitch. Each team now has at least five quality local players,” he added. “This makes it more challenging and the league’s quality has improved compared to previous seasons,” he noted. The point tally only placed them fourth in the final standings, indicating the league’s competitiveness will become increasingly exciting to watch. “If we had earned the same points as last season, we might have finished fourth or fifth this time,” he said. “You can see the top three teams are very prepared compared to others. Ultimately, this is more difficult than previous seasons,” he concluded.