PSIS should not give up, mayor says

SEMARANG (JP): Semarang Mayor Sukawi Sutarip and head councilor Ismoyo Subroto expressed hope on Saturday that financial difficulties would not force the city's top club PSIS to quit the national Bank Mandiri soccer league.

Sukawi said he would try to set up a business enterprise to fund PSIS.

"Don't disband the club just because of financial shortages. Let's find a solution. We have to seek more funds to keep PSIS alive. Moreover, the club was the 1999 league champion," Sukawi said.

"We must immediately set up a business enterprise, the profit from which could help finance the club," he added.

Ismoyo urged Semarang citizens to participate in financing the club. "Central Java businesspeople are expected to give financial support to the club so it will not withdraw from the league."

Meanwhile, Central Java head councilor Noor Achmad suggested privatizing PSIS so it could be managed professionally and have a commercial value. PSIS is now being managed by the Semarang administration.

"The current manager could offer a bid to private enterprises or large companies in Semarang or Central Java to maintain PSIS' existence."

"I'm sure PSIS can be the champion at the local and international level if it is managed by private enterprises who have big capital," said Noor Achmad, who is also member of the council's Commission A for sports and budgeting.

He alleged the club was improperly managed and had wasted money. "I wonder why the club's officials always say that PSIS suffers a financial loss. Unfortunately, they are not always transparent in their accountability reports," he said.

PSIS is reportedly cash-strapped and is likely to withdraw from competing in this year's league. The club had to delay paying players' salaries, forcing club officials to borrow money to pay for them.

As of March 2, PSIS was 13th out of the fourteen clubs competing in the eastern conference. From 11 matches, the defending champions have won two, drawn three and lost six.

Separately in Jakarta, secretary general of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) Tri Goestoro told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that PSSI was not capable of intervening in the club's problems.

"We don't want to repeat our past mistakes. We have already given the authority to clubs to seek for sponsorships for themselves. We understand their difficulties, but our capabilities our limited," he said.

"If we continue to support them, they won't be independent." he said, adding that he would keep an eye on the club.

He also hailed the idea of setting up a business enterprise to help finance the club. "Besides the administration and the businesspeople, they should also involve their fans. It's not an individual responsibility but a collective one," he said. (har/ivy)