Gerald Vanenburg criticizes U-23 player rules in next season’s Liga 1

Indonesia’s U-23 national team coach, Gerald Vanenburg, has expressed his disagreement with the young player regulations in Liga 1 2025/2026 — a policy he considers contradictory to local talent development.

PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB) has established rules requiring Liga 1 clubs to register five U-23 players — with one player mandatory to start and play minimum 45 minutes in each match.

This policy has drawn criticism from the Dutch coach as it coincides with clubs being allowed to register 11 foreign players — of which eight can play in a single match.

“I think it’s like a joke. Really, I think it’s a joke,” stated Vanenburg when met at Madya Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta.