Malut United Explains Withdrawal from ASEAN Club Championship 2025–2026

According to BolaSport.com, Malut United has released an official statement confirming their withdrawal from the ASEAN Club Championship (ACC) 2025–2026.

As a result, Indonesia will have no representatives in the upcoming tournament — not even Malut United or Persebaya Surabaya, who were previously projected to participate. Both clubs had earned their spots based on finishing third and fourth in the previous domestic season.

Ferry Paulus, a representative of PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB), explained the situation.

“We submitted the third- and fourth-placed teams to AFF, as previously stated. This was even included in the regulations we drafted,” Ferry said yesterday.

The issue arose when the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) insisted that Indonesia must send its league champion and runner-up as representatives for the ACC — a requirement that conflicted with PT LIB’s original agreement and selection criteria.