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Jakarta Post

RI tycoon grabs piece of English soccer with Tranmere investment

An Indonesian business group has been revealed as a minority shareholder in England’s third-tier soccer club, Tranmere Rovers

Dicky Christanto (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Thu, September 5, 2019

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RI tycoon grabs piece of English soccer with Tranmere investment

An Indonesian business group has been revealed as a minority shareholder in England’s third-tier soccer club, Tranmere Rovers. The new investor is expected to help the club stabilize its financial condition and build a sustainable business, said club owner Mark Palios.

“The injection of capital into the club will enable us to move ahead with a number of projects [that] will enhance our community and commercial offerings, like 3G pitch installation and WiFi improvement,” Palios said in a statement published on the club’s website.

“The new investment would also help us to reduce some of the debt incurred during our period in the non-League and to allow for some increase in the playing budget.”

The new Indonesian investor is Santini group, a business umbrella with a collection of companies active in the automotive industry, real estate development, financial services and infrastructure. The group was founded by Sofyan Wanandi, one of Indonesia’s leading tycoons, and is run by Lukito Wanandi, Wandi Wanandi and Paulus Wanandi.

Palios acknowledged that the partnership was made possible through his friendship with Simon Nainggolan, another Indonesian businessman who is also close to the Wanandis. Later on, he added, Simon would also serve as a bridge for the club and the international business community.

Through Simon, both Palios and the Wanandis have met to discuss their new joint venture. During a meeting with The Jakarta Post in June, Simon said both parties had seriously considered several options on how to introduce Tranmere Rovers to the local soccer landscape.

Among the top ideas was a series of coaching programs that would involve young players, managers and referees. Simon added that the idea of building a soccer academy in Indonesia had also been discussed.

“We are counting on all of our options now,” Simon said.

Palios told the Post that exposing players to international experience could effectively boost both their skills and mental acuity.

“The key point of developing players is through proper game time and proper exposure,” explained Palios, who is also a former chief of the English Football Association.

Tranmere has invited Ezra Walian, a local junior player, to play with the club.

Ignatius Indro of the Indonesian National Team Supporters Association praised the investment, hoping that the joint venture would have a positive influence on the local soccer landscape. He said it would be a good opportunity for local clubs to join forces with Tranmere Rovers in developing their players’ skills.

“There are many good things that we could learn from the English club. We could learn and later on share their perspective on professionalism, the right dose of sports science and set of skills that have been meticulously developed by the club through the years,” he said.

However, when asked whether the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) should be involved, Indro said the PSSI’s participation could be counterproductive because of its cumbersome bureaucracy.

“We don’t think the PSSI [would be] the right partner for such an endeavor; it would take too long and involve too many people. Our local clubs must look for the right sponsors so they can afford to tailor programs for their players, coaches and staff. This should be considered a long-term investment,” he said.

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