Indonesian fans excited as naturalized star surpasses both Vietnam and Thailand

Jay Idzes being valued at up to 10 million euros by the Transfermarkt website quickly sparked intense debate within the Indonesian football fan community.

The central defender currently playing for Sassuolo not only became the most valuable Southeast Asian player in terms of transfer fee, but also greatly exceeded the regional average, where top teams like Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia still have significantly lower total squad values.

According to data updated at the end of 2025, Thailand’s entire team value is around 9.08 million euros, Malaysia reaches 7.75 million euros, while the Vietnam national team is valued at 6.25 million euros. This means that Jay Idzes alone is worth more than national teams such as Thailand, a multiple AFF Cup champion, or Vietnam, the reigning Southeast Asian champions of 2024.

However, instead of absolute pride, many Indonesian supporters expressed skepticism and even frustration. On detikSport’s fanpage from the archipelago, many opinions stated that a high market value does not necessarily equate to collective success, especially when the achievements of the Indonesian national team remain inadequate.

One comment that received many interactions said: “So what are the national team’s achievements? They have never even won the AFF Cup.”

Many fans also mocked Indonesia’s ambitious football goals:“Dreaming of the World Cup.” Another opinion frankly compared: “Prove it with the national team’s results. It’s meaningless if player values are high but national achievements are still below Thailand and Vietnam.”

Some fans even criticized the domestic football management system more deeply: “Indonesia is not lacking talent. We are just overrun by greedy, power-hungry officials.”

In this context, Jay Idzes has become a symbol of the paradox in Indonesian football today: possessing one of the highest valued players in Southeast Asia while the national team still struggles to establish a solid position. In contrast to Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand maintain consistent performances despite having lower total squad values, especially in the AFF Cup and continental tournaments.