Calvin Verdonk to Jay Idzes: Indonesia’s Golden Generation in Europe’s Top Leagues

Indonesia can now be proud. For the first time in history, there are four players of Indonesian descent playing in Europe’s top leagues in the 2025/2026 season. They are Calvin Verdonk (French Ligue 1), Kevin Diks (German Bundesliga), Jay Idzes (Italian Serie A), and Emil Audero (Italian Serie A).

Their presence not only brings honor to Indonesia’s name on the global football stage, but also marks a new era showing that players with Nusantara blood are capable of breaking into elite competitions.

Calvin Verdonk – LOSC Lille (French Ligue 1)

 Calvin Verdonk officially joined LOSC Lille on September 1, 2025, after consistent performances with NEC Nijmegen. Lille spent around €3 million (Rp57 billion) to bring in this Indonesian national team left-back (CNN Indonesia, 27/08; Bola.net, 27/08).
Verdonk, who was naturalized in June 2024, has now become an important part of the Garuda National Team’s defense. As of June 2025, he has recorded 10 caps with Indonesia (Liputan6, 29/08). His presence in Ligue 1 opens the door for other Indonesian players to pursue careers in the French league.

Kevin Diks – Borussia Mönchengladbach (German Bundesliga)

 Kevin Diks became the first Indonesian player to play in the Bundesliga. He joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2025 on a free transfer after his contract with FC Copenhagen ended. Diks signed a contract until June 2030 (Tokohbiografi.id, 01/07).
Diks completed his naturalization process in November 2024, and since then he has begun to strengthen the Indonesian national team (Wikipedia, 29/08). His presence marks a historic step, as he carries Indonesia’s name into one of the most prestigious leagues in the world.

Jay Idzes – Sassuolo (Italian Serie A)

 Jay Idzes has been attracting attention since last season. He made history as the first Indonesian player to appear in Serie A when he debuted with Venezia against Fiorentina in August 2024 (Bola.net, 25/08).
On August 9, 2025, Idzes officially moved to Sassuolo for €8 million + €500 thousand add-ons. His debut with Sassuolo took place against Cremonese on August 29, 2025 (Wikipedia, 29/08).
In fact, he also scored the first-ever goal for an Indonesian player in Serie A when facing Juventus in December 2024 (Wikipedia, 29/08). Now, Idzes is trusted as one of the captains of the Indonesian national team (Liputan6, 29/08).

Emil Audero – Cremonese (Italian Serie A)

The name Emil Audero has long been known in Italy. He once played for Juventus and Sampdoria, and even represented Italy’s U-21 national team. However, after regaining his Indonesian citizenship, Audero finally made his debut with the Garuda National Team in March 2025 (Wikipedia, 29/08).
Now, Audero strengthens Cremonese in Serie A, making him one of the Indonesian goalkeepers competing at the highest level in Europe.

These four players mark a new chapter in Indonesian football. From Verdonk in France, Diks in Germany, Idzes in Italy, to Audero in Serie A, all show that players with Indonesian blood can compete at the highest level.
This golden generation is expected to inspire young talents in the homeland to keep dreaming of breaking into the world football stage.