Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi praised the recent initiative taken by the chief of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), Edy Rahmayadi, to step down from the office and he vowed that it would not stop the current antimatch-fixing probes.

“We appreciate Edy’s dedication to the country’s soccer, but then the PSSI shouldn’t waste any more time and move on with further mapping to curb the existing problems,” he said on Monday.

Currently, Imam said, an investigation launched by the antimatch-fixing task force led by the police is ongoing. The PSSI, he added, should keep up with initiatives to improve the association’s performance that in the end would boost the national soccer team.

“The key word is transparency. The PSSI should join forces with other institutions to make necessary changes that would guarantee integrity,” he said.

Julius Raja, secretary of the PSMS Medan soccer club, in which Edy is registered as a stakeholder, said he regretted the decision, explaining that Edy had actually served with distinction during his tenure as
PSSI chief.

“We have not had many people who would act like him, stepping down from a position that has been desired by many,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Julius acknowledged that he was initially surprised by the decision. He said he noticed that Edy has been shunned by many of his colleagues in the association.

“When Edy invited all PSSI officials to a gala dinner a day before the congress, just half of them went. I knew from that moment that Edy had lost half the support and that might have contributed greatly to his decision to step down,” he said.

Joko Driyono (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

Julius said he believed there might be a mastermind behind all the developments, but he refused to point his finger at anyone in particular.

North Sumatran political figure Rahmat Shah said he appreciated Edy’s move, adding that it proved Edy considered the province his top priority.

Edy had initially been regarded as unsuccessful as he was considered to have failed to boost the performance of the national team at the regional stages. His election last year as North Sumatra’s governor sowed more distrust among soccer enthusiasts.

Statements like “When he was PSSI chief alone, he failed to prove that he meant business. Now with another job on his shoulders, how can we expect more of him?” often appeared on social media or on daily news.

Edy used to shrug off suggestions he step down. However, this changed when the match-fixing probes came to the surface and the police named 10 people as suspects. Four of them were top PSSI brass.

Before leaving office, Edy admitted he had failed to fulfill his promise to eliminate match fixing. Edy left his position to his second-in-command, Joko Driyono, the deputy PSSI chief, who is to hold the position until what would have been the end of Edy’s tenure in 2020.

However, Joko’s leadership was soon criticized by many soccer enthusiasts who have long viewed him as one of the problems within the PSSI. Social media has been filled by voices critical of Joko’s leadership.

“Joko’s leadership will be the same story of failure all over again,” account @anddikaputraa tweeted. Another account, @Imamsubeki9 asked: “Has Joko known no shame, to stay in PSSI with a proven record of failing to make better conditions?”

Joko, a former sport journalist, started his career as manager with Pelita Krakatau Steel in the mid-1990s. He secured many strategic positions within the association, like that of secretary-general and deputy PSSI chief under Edy Rahmayadi.

Joko was deemed controversial as many believed he knew of the existence of many ill practices like match fixing that had taken place within the sport, but had done little about it.

Commenting on this, Joko said he appreciated the critics and vowed to do his best as PSSI chief to fix the problems.

“I couldn’t turn my back away from critics, but my sole priority right now is doing my job as a PSSI chief,” he said.