Copa champion Sriwijaya FC appears to have picked up its pace by recruiting a number of new players in a bid to win back the league crown.
After scoring two wins last year, the Indonesian Super League and Copa Dji Sam Soe championships, the South Sumatra-based club had to make do this year with a single trophy only, at the expense of the newly crowned league champion, Persipura, whom they beat in the final match.
The club is looking set to tackle the next challenge, including that of the Asian Champions League, after shoring up its squad with several top local players.
"We want to regain the double victory next season, and try to perform better than before in the Asian Champions League," Dodi Reza Noerdin, the president of PT Sriwijaya Optimis Mandiri (SOM), said in a recent interview.
The team's success in the last few years has made Sriwijaya FC one of the elite clubs that has lured many of the country's best players.
The leadership of coach Rahmad Darmawan also seems to have given would-be players a sense of reliability.
"I am very proud to have joined a professional team like Sriwijaya FC. Here I can get good teammates, coaching and management," said Rahmat Rifai, who used to play for North Jakarta's Persitara club.
Among the squad members are national players, including goalkeeper Ferry Rotinsulu, defenders Muhammad Nasuha, Charis Yulianto, Isnan Ali and midfielders Ponaryo Astaman and Arif Suyono.
Sriwijaya has kept 10 of the 25 players from the last season.
With 90 percent of the squad having either signed contracts or renewed them, the clubs is still looking for another three players.
Foreign recruits - Zah Rahan Krangar of Liberia and Keith *Kayamba' Gumbs of Saint Kitt-Nevis - were awarded the club's record contracts at Rp 1.1 billion each, while local players' contract value range between Rp 100 and Rp 900 million.
A total of Rp 12 billion has been allocated to buy players. The amount make up almost half of the budget set aside for the club's operational cost for next season's participation.
Dodi said the bulk of the budget came from sponsorships.
"Furthermore, as a listed company, we also get income from mining and plantation businesses," he said, adding that the club's earnings from sponsors met roughly half of the budget.
More funds are expected from other sources, with the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) allowing league participants to get financial support from their respective provincial administration, amounting to between Rp 12 billion and Rp 17 billion.
Dodi said he planned to list PT Sriwijaya Optimis Mandiri on the stock exchange.
"But we have to prove that Sriwijaya FC is worth it.
"We must work hard to equal last year's feat winning both Copa and the League.
We also must fare well in the Asian Champions League," he said.
