Persib's Secret to Winning a Super League Championship Hat-Trick, Bojan Hodak: Defense is the Key!

Bandung – Football has proven its timeless adage: attack wins matches, but defence wins championships. This exact philosophy carried Persib Bandung to make historic milestone, securing a consecutive Championship Hat-Trick in the Liga Indonesia era after lifting the 2025/2026 Super League trophy.

The irony of this season's title race played out perfectly on the final matchday, Saturday (23/5/2026). While their closest rival Borneo FC celebrated a dominant 7-1 thrashing of Malut United in Samarinda, Persib officially sealed the title through a 0-0 goalless draw against Persijap Jepara, under the roaring support of tens of thousands of Bobotoh fans at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api (GBLA) Stadium.

Yet this goalless result became absolute proof of head coach Bojan Hodak's tactical approach. "I believe our defence is what won us the championship this season," stated Bojan in Bandung, 23 May 2026.

Statistics fully support this claim. Maung Bandung recorded the hardest defence to break through across the league, conceding only 22 goals throughout the entire season. This solid backline formed the critical foundation that maintained the team's consistency, while also covering efficiency gaps in their attacking line.

The match against Persijap itself reflected Persib's entire journey this season. Attacking playmaker Thom Haye, alongside Barba, Adam Alis, and Beckham Putra, repeatedly bombarded Persijap's goal. However, all their dominance and series of clear golden chances were denied by an exceptional performance from opposition Goalkeeper Ardiansyah.

"Even when we create chances but cannot always score, defence remains the strongest part of our game," Bojan added. He stressed that the simple principle of 'not conceding' became the team's safety anchor whenever their forward line hit a dead end.

Persib and Borneo FC actually finished the season with identical points: 79 points from 34 matches. However, Maung Bandung was crowned champions due to superior head-to-head record. This season, Persib recorded one win and one Draw Result against Pesut Etam — this tiny margin ultimately decided the fate of both teams.

Bojan Hodak's steel-like defensive approach has proven that consistency and mental resilience in the back line are the true keys to dominate Indonesian Football for three consecutive seasons.