Football is the most popular sport in Indonesia. It is the most watched sport, and the highest in terms of attendance, participation and revenue. The top-flight football league in Indonesia is known as Liga 1. There, many top football clubs in Indonesia, who compete for trophies. The national body is the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI), which was established in 1993. Here are the top 5 football clubs in Indonesia.
1. Persipura Jayapura
Persipura Jayapura is arguably the best club side in the country. The club was founded in 1963, but not much is known about who the original founders were. Their home kit is a red and black striped jersey on black shorts with red socks. They play at the 30,000 thousand capacity Mandala Stadium in the city of Jayapura. The Black Pearls have won the domestic Indonesia Super League title 4 times and finished runners-up on 3 occasions. They have also won various local cup competitions like the Inter Island Cup and the Indonesian Community Shield. They have also competed several times in Asian football club tournaments.
2. Arema FC
The Liga 1 side is one of the most popular clubs in the country. They were founded on August 11th, 1987, by Indonesian Army General Acub Zaenal. The name of the club was based on a mythical figure from Indonesian folklore called Kebo Arema, an ancient Knight. The Mad Lions play their home matches at the 42,449 capacity Kanjuruhan Stadium. The Malang-based club has won the league once in their history, as well as a few domestic cups. They play in an all-blue home kit.
3. Bali United
This Indonesian club is one of the youngest sides in the country, following their establishment in 2015 by businessman Pieter Tanuri. The club plays in a red jersey over black shorts and red socks. The Tridatu Warriors have won the Super League once in their short history and also competed in various Asian continental club competitions.
4. Bhayangkara Solo FC
The Guardian is an Indonesian club side based in Surakarta. Founded in 2010, the club is famous for its links to the national police force. In fact, a lot of their players are serving police officers. They play in an all-yellow home kit and have won the league once as well. In 2017, Bhayangkara won the Liga 1 competition.
5. Persija Jakarta
The capital city club side is one of the oldest in the country, having been founded on November 28th, 1928, by Dutch colonialists. The Kemayoran Tigers play in an all-red home kit. They have won the league twice in their history and often compete in Asian club tournaments. Persija Jakarta are the most successful football club in Indonesia with 2 Indonesian League titles and 9 Perserikatan titles. Persija Jakarta has a fierce rivalry with Persib Bandung in the Indonesian League.
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