Goalkeeper Teja Paku Alam revealed the biggest motivation that helped him lead Persib Bandung to a three-peat, or three consecutive championship titles.
At the start of the season, he admitted he never imagined becoming the first-choice goalkeeper for the team.
He said the trust given by Persib Bandung’s coach became a crucial turning point in his career this season.
A simple message from the coach further motivated Teja Paku Alam to compete healthily within the Persib Bandung squad.
“The motivation came from the start of the season. If I may share, the coach once told me at the gym, ‘Just compete. I don’t favor anyone here. Whoever is ready to play will get playing time,'” said Teja Paku Alam.
According to Teja Paku Alam, this message was reinforced by the goalkeeper coach. This drove him to keep working hard until he was finally trusted as Persib Bandung’s mainstay throughout the season.
Persib Bandung’s success in retaining the title this season felt different compared to the previous two seasons.
Teja Paku Alam acknowledged that the Persib Bandung squad has felt immense pressure over the past month due to the tight points race until the end of the season.
“Maybe for the past month, there has been its own pressure. Because our opponents and our points were very close, so the pressure was really felt,” said Teja Paku Alam.
He admitted to being very emotional after the final match of the season ended.
The final whistle moment became an outlet for all the pressure felt by Persib Bandung players throughout the title chase.
“After the last match and the final whistle blew, I was very emotional,” said Teja Paku Alam.
Persib Bandung’s achievement of a three-peat also solidifies Teja Paku Alam’s position as one of the best goalkeepers in Indonesian football competition this season.
Persib Bandung has once again made history in Indonesian football. The club, nicknamed Pangeran Biru, became the first team to win three consecutive titles since the Indonesian League era began.
Behind this historic achievement is the figure who successfully led the team to dominate the competition for the past three seasons. However, starting next season, his position as head coach will be replaced by his assistant.
The Croatian coach shared his testimony after a long journey with Persib Bandung. He assessed that Persib Bandung’s success was due to the collective effort of all club elements.
“I was lucky when I first arrived here. I found a very good group of people within the club. Suddenly, everyone started working together, and that’s how we won the first and second trophies,” said Bojan Hodak.
Nevertheless, Bojan Hodak admitted that his third season with Persib Bandung was the toughest challenge. The team underwent a major overhaul, replacing 23 players out of a total squad of 31.
According to Bojan Hodak, this situation made it difficult for Persib Bandung to maintain their dominance, especially as many rival clubs began making significant investments.
“This last year was really tough for us. Achieving something like this again amidst the heavy investments from competitors like Borneo FC and Persija Jakarta is fantastic,” said Bojan Hodak.
Bojan Hodak also praised the Persib Bandung supporters, whom he felt showed maturity during the final match of the season. He highlighted the stadium atmosphere, which remained conducive without firecrackers or pitch invasions.
According to Bojan Hodak, the extraordinary support from the fans is one reason Persib Bandung deserves to be called a big club in Southeast Asia.
“This club is bigger than any coach or any player. There will always be new players and coaches, but the club will continue to run well,” said
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