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ormer national soccer team coach Alfred Riedl dismissed allegations that he did not have an official contract with the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and expressed hope that the PSSI would compensate him for the remainder of his unfinished contract, which ends on May 6, 2012.

Riedl held a media conference on Friday, three days after PSSI chairman Djohar Arifin Husin publicly announced his termination from his post. “As of today, no one from the new PSSI management [has met] me. I learned about my termination from the media instead of from PSSI,” the 61-year-old Austrian was quoted as saying Friday by news portal kompas.com.

Riedl also insisted that the contract he signed on May 7 last year was an official contract with the PSSI. “I wouldn’t sign a personal contract because if a problem occurred, I wouldn’t be able to report it to FIFA,” Riedl said, referring to allegations that he signed only a personal agreement with then PSSI deputy chairman Nirwan D. Bakrie.

“I feel that the new management of PSSI views me as their enemy,” he added.

“The reason I was fired was because the PSSI now has a new president and committee members who all come from the ruling party and replaced the old regime who were from a different party. They are politicians and this was a political decision,” Riedl told the Associated Press on Friday.

Despite his sudden termination, Riedl expressed hope that the PSSI had the goodwill to fulfill its responsibility to pay for his unfinished term. Riedl receives an estimated US$15,000 a month salary.

Riedl’s assistant, Wolfgang Pikal, who was also sacked from the national team, is also seeking compensation.

National team captain Bambang Pamungkas said he believed the abrupt termination of Riedl was an improper decision.

“ [The PSSI] should have treated Riedl better. He has contributed much to the national team,” Bambang said Friday.

Riedl has become a popular figure for Indonesian soccer fans for raising the profile of the national team by leading it to a runner-up finish at last year’s AFF Suzuki Cup. The last time Indonesia was runner-up in the AFF Cup was in 2004. During his brief stint, Riedl led the national team to a record of seven wins from nine matches, losing once to Malaysia and to Uruguay.

“Riedl told us that no matter who the coach is, we have to perform at 100 percent,” Bambang said.

Riedl was replaced by Dutchman Wim Rijsbergen, who will take charge for the two legs of the 2014 World Cup qualifier against Turkmenistan. The first match takes place in Ashgabat on July 23 with the second leg in Jakarta five days later.