More Indonesian Diasporas Now Join Local Football Clubs

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - A wave of Indonesian diaspora football players has recently joined local clubs in Indonesia. All of them are Indonesian national team players of Indonesian - Dutch descent, and they have signed with clubs competing in the Super League, the highest tier of Indonesia’s domestic football competition.

Most recently, Dion Markx, who previously played for Dutch club TOP Oss, decided to move to Persib Bandung from West Java. Meanwhile, Mauro Zijlstra, formerly of Dutch club FC Volendam, is currently in negotiations to join Persija Jakarta.

"Persib is a big club with a rich history of achievements, having won the title twice in a row. Of course, I am very happy with this offer," Dion stated on Sunday, 1 February 2026, as quoted from the club's official website.

The  Deputy President for Public Relations at the Indonesia Diaspora Network Global (IDN Global), Syahrial Sawadjur, said in a statement on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, that their decision to join Super League clubs is strategic and positive. According to him, this phenomenon shows that their sense of identity is not merely symbolic, but is also realized through professional contributions.

"When they choose to play for Indonesian clubs, this is actually not just a career choice, but also a symbolic form of returning home. They bring their experiences, their style of play, discipline, and global football culture into our football system in Indonesia," he said in a statement to RRI Voice of Indonesia on Tuesday, 3 February 2026.

Moreover, Syahrial added that IDN Global believes there is still a great deal of untapped football talent within the Indonesian diaspora, and he hopes this can help accelerate improvements in the quality of the country’s football. This also includes potential coaches or club managers from the diaspora, who he believes deserve attention as well.

"Perhaps it is also time for us to look at the potential of football not only from the players’ perspective, but also consider those who have long been involved, such as coaches or those who are part of football club management," he said.

Therefore, Syahrial said all parties must work together to think about the development and future of Indonesian football through its diaspora. This includes the government, which needs to further simplify immigration processes to accommodate Indonesian diaspora members within the national team structure.

"The IDN Global believes, if the government, the federation, clubs, or football-loving communities both domestically and abroad, move forward together, then this phenomenon will not merely be seasonal or temporary, but can become one of the long-term strategies that we can review and evaluate together," he said.

As of Wednesday, 4 February, Indonesia is ranked 122nd in the FIFA world rankings. Most recently, the Indonesian national team reached the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar.

IDN Global is a non-profit organization to facilitate friendship and cooperation between Indonesian diaspora communities. Established in 2012 during a diaspora congress in San Francisco, United States, it now claims to have about 60 chapters worldwide.