Shin Tae-yong Opens the Possibility of Bringing One of His Former Indonesia National Team Protégés to Persija.

The arrival of Shin Tae-yong as the New Head Coach of Persija Jakarta has sparked speculation over the development direction for the Kemayoran Tigers squad. One circulating rumour is that this South Korean head coach may bring over several players who were his trusted core talents during his tenure leading the Indonesia National Team.

During his official introduction ceremony at Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) on Monday, the former Indonesia National Team Head Coach confirmed he holds the intention to work again with multiple players he had developed and coached over the past five years.

Ever since taking charge of the Indonesia National Team in 2020, Shin Tae-yong built the foundational backbone for a new generation of Indonesian Football. Numerous young athletes progressed rapidly under his guidance, and went on to become key players for the Garuda Squad across all major international competitions.

Now that he has officially taken over Persija on a three-year contract, opportunities for these reunions are now on the table.

"Yes, I certainly have the desire to bring over former National Team Players that I have worked alongside before. However we must first evaluate each player's individual circumstances first. For instance, many may still be bound by active contracts with their current clubs, along with many other practical considerations," stated STY during his official introduction press conference at Jakarta International Stadium (JIS), North Jakarta on Monday.

This statement immediately drew widespread public attention. This is due to the fact that many of Shin's trusted former national team players are currently contracted to various clubs both inside and outside of Indonesia.

Notably, several players who previously worked under Shin are already registered in Persija's current squad. Athletes including Rizky Ridho, Witan Sulaeman and Jordi Amat are already fully familiar with Shin's playing philosophy from their time with the national team.

The presence of these players will help smooth Shin Tae-yong's adaptation process as he constructs the team aligned with his long term vision.

Aside from discussing potential recruitment of his former proteges, Shin also confirmed he will be bringing over long-time members of his coaching staff that he has worked alongside for years.

"As for the assistant coaching team, these are coaches that all you journalists will already recognise, as they were also part of the national team setup previously," he added.

Beyond squad and coaching staff composition, Shin also outlined the playing identity that Persija will adopt under his leadership.

During his tenure with the Indonesia National Team, Shin was widely known for his pragmatic tactical approach. Indonesia consistently operated with disciplined defensive structures and relied on rapid counter attacks when facing higher quality opposition.

"Back when I led the national team, almost all our opponents were stronger and more established than us. That was the reason we always prioritised defensive solidity first, then struck back on the counter attack," he explained.

For Persija however, Shin intends to implement a far more aggressive tactical approach. He has stated that his team will be expected to take match initiative and play with dominant control in domestic league competitions.

To deliver this playing style, he emphasised that careful squad construction will be critical, including the selection process for foreign import players.

"That said, for the domestic league we will definitely hold further detailed discussions with Mr Panca and the rest of the management team at Persija Jakarta, particularly regarding Foreign Player signings. Once that process is completed, we will be able to deliver much better, faster and far more attacking aggressive Football," he stated.

With his extensive track record leading the Indonesia National Team and proven history of developing young talent, Shin Tae-yong arrives at Persija carrying huge public expectations to return the club to genuine title contention.