Purely Tactical Move, Persib Coach Bojan Hodak Understands Saddil Ramdani's Disappointment When Substituted Off

Persib Bandung coach Bojan Hodak calmly responded to Saddil Ramdani's disappointed expression after being substituted early in the match against Persis Solo on Monday night. Bojan emphasized the decision was purely tactical to maintain team balance.

"Of course there will be disappointed players in this situation. Including Saddil Ramdani, I know. But this is a tactic I implemented. Saddil was good, he created many attacks," said Bojan, quoted from Persib's official website on Tuesday (28/10).

The Croatian coach decided to replace Saddil with Adam Alis in the 31st minute, just three minutes after Luciano received a red card for a harsh foul on Persis striker Kodai Tanaka.

"But I brought in Adam Alis to cover the center (due to Luciano's red card) and I moved Beckham to winger. So, this was purely a tactical decision I made," Bojan continued.

Although Saddil briefly showed disappointment, the situation didn't last long. Persib actually played solidly despite being down to 10 men and managed to defeat Persis Solo in front of Bobotoh (fans) at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium (GBLA).

This victory provides crucial morale for the Bandung Maung, who are facing an extremely tight schedule in two competitions: the Indonesian Super League and the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2).

"We know the team's schedule is very packed. That means we know we must maintain fitness, one way is through rotation to maintain team performance," stated Bojan.

Next, Persib will play an away match at Bali United's headquarters on Saturday, November 1st, before facing Selangor FC in their fourth AFC Champions League 2 group stage match next Thursday.

With the win over Persis and high spirits in the dressing room, Persib now carries the mission of maintaining positive momentum in the two prestigious competitions they are participating in.