Indonesian football suffers a setback in its naturalization ambitions

The inability to naturalize Jairo Riedewald results in Indonesian football losing a key quality player and reveals strict legal obstacles in the ambition to improve the national squad.

The ambition to strengthen Indonesia’s national team with players of European descent has faced a major obstacle again, as the naturalization process for midfielder Jairo Riedewald has officially been canceled. This news has left Indonesian media and fans deeply disappointed, because Riedewald is a name with an impressively notable Premier League record.

Jairo Riedewald was born in the Netherlands, with a mother of mixed Indonesian-Dutch heritage and a father from Suriname. From a bloodline perspective, the midfielder fully qualifies to represent Indonesia. However, the biggest barrier comes from his international playing history. Riedewald has appeared three times for the Dutch national team, which nearly closes the door to federation switching under FIFA regulations.

Arya Sinulingga, a member of PSSI’s Executive Board, openly explained the decision to halt the entire naturalization process. He emphasized that transparency and legal feasibility were prioritized. “This transparency is crucial because there is no point in proceeding with naturalization if you cannot play,”Arya Sinulingga shared.

Previously, PSSI pursued the case of goalkeeper Maarten Paes, who also had a history playing for Dutch youth teams. However, after consulting international lawyers, the federation believed there was still a legal loophole to appeal. “We had to seek legal advice to see if we could win the case. If not, then we would drop it,”Arya stated. With Paes, the chances of success were assessed more positively, so PSSI decided to continue pursuing it.

In contrast, Riedewald’s case was judged by legal advisors as “very difficult.” “The fact is Riedewald has played several times for the Dutch national team. We consulted lawyers, and they said it’s very tough, the chances are slim, and it would just be a waste of money,”Arya Sinulingga clarified.

According to PSSI, taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport would not only be time-consuming but also very costly, including international lawyer fees, court fees, and travel expenses. “Legal matters are very expensive. With such low chances of success, we decided not to proceed,”, a PSSI representative emphasized.

This decision has made Indonesian fans even more regretful when looking at Riedewald’s professional record. Born in 1996, he developed through Ajax’s academy, has played for Crystal Palace since 2017, and made a total of 75 Premier League appearances with 2 goals. In the 2020/2021 season alone, he played 33 matches, a figure any Southeast Asian national team would envy.

In the context of Indonesia already having several quality naturalized players like Thom Haye, Jay Idzes, and Justin Hubner, missing out on an experienced Premier League midfielder like Riedewald is clearly a significant loss. Nevertheless, PSSI insists that stopping the process was necessary to avoid legal and financial risks and to maintain a professional approach in building the national team.