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Football: Bakrie's Roar Takeover All in the Name of Aiding Indonesia
Wimbo Satwiko | February 07, 2012

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The Bakrie Group has big dreams in football and says taking full control of A-League side Brisbane Roar can provide one way to achieve them.

The Football Federation of Australia said on Monday that Pelita Jaya Cronus, sporting arm of the group controlled by the family of Golkar Party leader Aburizal Bakrie, had taken 100 percent control of the Roar after increasing its 70 percent stake.

Helmi Rahman, executive vice president of Pelita Jaya Cronus, said the move was part of a strategy to achieve the main objective of boosting Indonesia’s football development.

“Our main goal is to give Indonesian footballers a way to play abroad. That’s the reason behind the Brisbane Roar acquisition,” Helmi said in an exclusive interview with the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday.

Brisbane had been under league management for seven months prior to the Bakrie Group’s arrival in October.

In addition to the Roar, Pelita Jaya Cronus also owns Indonesian Super League club Pelita Jaya, Belgium second-division side CS Vise and a youth development project in Uruguay, S.A.D. Indonesia, which plays in the country’s Under-17 and Under-19 leagues.

It also bought a 20 percent stake in English Championship side Leicester City in 2010 but sold it early last year.

Those aggressive acquisitions have raised questions about how Pelita Jaya Cronus’ plans to balance on-field performance, off-field profits and its stated intent of aiding Indonesian football’s growth.

Helmi said the moves would make it easier to transfer knowledge from foreign clubs to their Indonesian counterparts.

“We can set up short courses or visits to Vise or the Roar to give local coaches new horizons. They can learn the systems at Vise or the Roar and compare them to what they have been doing in Indonesia,” he said.

So far, Pelita Jaya Cronus has sent four players — S.A.D. Indonesia alumni Syamsir Alam, Alfin Tuasalamony, Yandi Munawar and Yericho Christiantoko — to compete in Belgium with Vise.

Helmi also said the company would continue its policy of not interfering with its managers.

“The Roar is a top club in the A-League and we want to keep it that way. We want to open the door for Indonesian footballers, but the head coach still has the final word,” he said. “It also applies for our players, such as Safee Sali. We only give advice and the coach makes the final decision.”

Safee, Malaysia’s top striker, has risked a national team ban by extending his contract with Pelita Jaya in the breakaway ISL. However, there is reportedly a clause that could allow him to play for other Bakrie-owned clubs.