•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

The ongoing turmoil within the Indonesian football world went from bad to worse on Tuesday when coach Rahmad Darmawan officially resigned from the under-23 national team.

His close friend, Eddy Syahputra, submitted Rahmad’s resignation letter to the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) office, saying the team’s failure to win the 2011 Southeast Asian Games gold medal was the main reason behind the coach’s decision.

The team fell to archrival Malaysia in a penalty shootout in front of more than 80,000 fans at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on Nov. 21, extending a 20-year football gold medal drought in the regional competition.

“I failed. I think I still need to learn more, so I decided to resign from my position as the U-23 team head coach,” Rahmad said in a phone interview.

Rumors of his intention to resign had been swirling since last week, and picked up steam after PSSI chairman Djohar Arifin Husin announced on Friday that players from clubs in the breakaway Indonesian Super League would not be eligible to play for the national team.

Djohar cited Article 79 of the world football governing body FIFA’s statutes as the main reason for the ban.

PSSI had introduced the Indonesian Premier League as the new top-flight competition here, but 18 clubs that were not satisfied with the current association’s leadership decided to revive the ISL, which had been the official competition under a previous PSSI regime.

Since taking over the under-23 team in July, Rahmad has repeatedly said that as the coach, he should have full authority to select players, regardless of the league they play in.

“It is a big responsibility to coach a national team, so the coach needs every resource available to make the best squad,” Rahmad told the Jakarta Globe last month.

“I prefer to coach a small team with full authority than a big team but with limitations.”

However, the 44-year-old denied on Tuesday the suggestion that the ban was behind his decision to resign.

“There’s no other reason. I don’t want to make the current situation worse,” he said.

His departure is a blow for Indonesian football. Despite the SEA Games loss, Rahmad’s side showed promise, spurring hopes that there was a brighter future ahead for Indonesian football.

He helped several youngsters such as Patrich Wanggai, Andik Vermansyah, Ferdinand Sinaga and Egi Melgiansyah become new stars in the country.

“I’m sad about the resignation of the coach, as I believe all football fans in the country are. He’s a great coach who can bring out the best in his players,” Ferdinand told online news portal Vivanews. “However, I respect his decision, as I know he’s been thinking that over and over.”

The team’s SEA Games performance also had pundits urging the PSSI to promote Rahmad to the senior team, replacing Dutchman Wim Rijsbergen, whose squad lost every match in the 2014 World Cup qualifying round.

Rahmad is one of the most decorated coaches in the country, tallying two Indonesian league titles, with Persipura Jayapura (2005) and Sriwijaya FC (2007), and three consecutive Indonesian Cups with Sriwijaya.

He was discussed as a possible replacement for Ivan Kolev as the senior national team coach in 2008, but the PSSI considered his contract buyout clause from Sriwijaya to be too expensive ­— he reportedly signed a Rp 1.2 billion ($132,000) a year contract with the South Sumatra club — and the association appointed Benny Dollo instead.

Before being selected to coach the under-23 squad, Rahmad was Rijsbergen’s assistant on the senior team.

Rahmad didn’t rule out the possibility of returning to the national team some day.

“If my coaching skills get better and I have more experience, why not?” said Rahmad, who started his coaching career at Persikota Tangerang in 2003.

He said he had yet to determine his next move, though he has been linked with ISL club Pelita Jaya.

“Several clubs have approached me, but I also want to take coaching courses abroad. But right now, I want to rest for at least a week,” he said.