Persib Bandung Becomes The Only Indonesian Club Successfully Replicating JDT

Persib Bandung Stands Out In Emulating JDT’s Football Success

In an ambitious effort to replicate Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT)‘s dominance in Malaysian football, Persib Bandung has emerged as the only Indonesian club to show meaningful progress.

The transformation began in late 2017 when Mario Gomez, an Argentine coach, was brought in to replace Djadjang Nurdjaman, who had led the club for nearly five years. Gomez introduced a modern tactical approach and gave valuable opportunities to young local talents, including:

• Ghozali Siregar

• Ardi Idrus

Although Gomez’s tenure lasted only one season, during which he led Persib to a fourth-place finish, his leadership marked a turning point for the team. After departing Bandung, Gomez went on to coach Borneo FC.

In a similar move, Persis Solo attempted to follow the same path by appointing Leonardo Medina — formerly Benjamin Mora’s assistant at JDT — during the 2022/23 Liga 1 season.