TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Indonesian football prodigy to tryout for Spanish team
Indonesian U-23 national team player Evan Dimas Darmono is going to Spain to tryout with the country's local club
Change Size
Indonesian U-23 national team player Evan Dimas Darmono is going to Spain to tryout with the country's local club.
Little is known about which club is seeking to test his skill, as those involved remain tight-lipped on Evan's destination in Spain.
'My feeling is [that I will be trying out for] Barcelona B, hopefully that is true. Whatever the club is, I am ready,' said Evan as quoted by kompas.com on Friday.
The opportunity came from CEO of Persebaya I Gede Widiade, who was also the manager of the U-23 national team, in the wake of the current problem plaguing professional football in Indonesia. Evan is deemed to be better off playing in Spain because the top Indonesian league is currently in limbo following the ban from FIFA due to the Youth and Sports Minister intervening in the country's soccer association, PSSI.
Evan was a new player on Persebaya when PSSI was suspended; he played only two matches before the league was halted.
Following the tryouts in Spain, Evan will no longer be with the Indonesia All-Star team, which is currently participating in the Sunrise of Java Cup in Banyuwangi in East Java. He is back in Surabaya to take care of administrative matters before going to Spain on Aug. 5 -- the tryout will be held on Aug. 10.
Barcelona B is currently a participant of the Spanish League's third level competition Segunda Division B, after being relegated from the second level Segunda Division last year.
Evan has previously trained with the Barcelona academy in 2012 on a Nike-sponsored program. The 20-year-old player received training from Josep Guardiola, who coached the club back then. (rad/kes)(+++)
