Two local brothers to take PSM helm for 2002 season
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi
The Ali brothers, Reza and Diza Rasyid, have received a unanimous vote to lead PSM soccer club as chairman and manager respectively on a two-year contract basis.
They replaced the Halid brothers, Nurdin and Kadir, who led the Makassar-based club to win the 2000 league and finish second this year during their two-year term.
"The partnership of Reza and Diza have officially taken over from the previous leadership duo," PSM spokesman Piet Haryadi Sanggelorang announced on Tuesday.
Piet said the Ali brothers were entrusted to lead the club due to both their managerial and financial capabilities. "They are known as people who have a sound vision and affection for soccer," he added.
Diza has ample soccer club managerial experience under his belt, including a stint at Persija, the reigning league champions.
Piet said the club's board of directors gave the new pair two years of tenure to maintain the soccer team's recent success.
According to Piet, the directors have asked the new club managers to recruit more local players for next season, which will kick off on Jan. 13. PSM gave little opportunity for local talent in recent seasons, causing them to move to rival clubs.
Both Reza and Diza agreed to a 60:40 ratio for locals and imports, although the directors expected only a 70:30 ratio.
Diza said that, unlike in the past, PSM would bring in foreign players from Asian countries for next season.
"We are going to sign soccer players from China, Japan and South Korea, who are renowned for their strict discipline. Their skills are not below those of Latin Americans, Africans or Europeans," Diza added.
He said the club is offering a new contract with last season's key players, including Miro Baldo Bento, Yuniarto Budi and Ronny Ririn.
PSM has released national striker Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto, national team captain and midfielder Bima Sakti and goalkeeper Hendro Kartiko to new outfit PSPS Pekanbaru in the oil-rich province of Riau each in a transfer worth Rp 500 million (US$48,000).
The trio will reportedly receive a salary of between Rp 5 million and Rp 7 million a month, excluding bonuses.