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Football: Former Arema Boss Alberts May Return to Indonesia
Wimbo Satwiko | August 15, 2011

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After losing Rahmad Darmawan, Persija Jakarta has been busy trying to find a big-name coach to fill his shoes next season.

While the Kemayoran Tigers continued to play coy on Monday, chairman Ferry Paulus did let one name slip — former Arema Indonesia coach Robert Rene Alberts.

“There are four candidates who we think are fit to be Persija’s head coach. At this time, we are not at liberty to announce who they are as yet,” he said. “[Alberts] is the frontrunner.”

He said the capital club was opting for a foreign coach, with the other candidates from Eastern Europe and Asia.

“Rahmad is the best local coach, so we have to look outside for a better coach,” Ferry said.

Alberts has been without a club since leaving PSM Makassar in January. The Dutchman failed to agree on a new contract with PSM after it moved to the breakaway Indonesian Premier League.

Alberts, 56, made his name in Indonesia when he led Arema to its first Indonesian Super League title in the 2009-10 season, his first in charge. A veteran of 17 years in Asian football, he left Arema last season because he was unhappy with the club’s operations as players and officials repeatedly went unpaid for months at a time.

Alberts’s agent, Jules Dennis Onana, confirmed that Persija was one of a few clubs willing to bring the Dutchman back to Indonesia.

“Persija has sent a proposal to sign coach Alberts, but I still can’t confirm whether he will return to Indonesia,” Onana said on Monday.

“The chances are open. There are a few clubs, including Persija and Arema, sending proposals to sign coach Alberts. We’re still assessing them, and we may make a decision in the next two or three days.”

Arema did not deny that it was trying to sign Alberts for a second time and said it was ready to fight for his services.

“Of course, we’re ready if he’s willing to make a comeback with Arema,” club spokesman Sudarmaji said. “He’s a good coach who helped us take the title. We’re very confident he will sign with us.”