Persija Jakarta

Foundation and early years

Persija has roots that predate the current Indonesian state, which declared independence in 1945. Its forerunner, the Voetbalbond Indonesia Jacatra (VIJ), was formed on 28 November 1928 as a football club for Indonesian residents of Jakarta when the Dutch were still colonising the country. The name Jacatra refers to a fort on the northern coast of present-day Jakarta. VIJ, along with six other Indonesian clubs, established PSSI on 19 April 1930 and won the first PSSI-authorised competition in 1931. In 1937, VIJ did not enter the competition but after that the club was always in the top division.

Post-independence

VIJ changed its name to Persija in 1950, five years after the Indonesian independence. In mid-1951, a club with ethnic Chinese, Dutch and Eurasian players merged with the rebranded outfit. As the Indonesia national football team in the 1950s heavily depended on Persija players, its line-ups at that time were filled by many ethnic Chinese, Dutch and Eurasian players from the Jakarta club.

Amateur years (1951–1994)

After the 1945 independence, national football competitions in Indonesia centred on region-based associations of amateur clubs that received funding from the state. These associations, including Persija, played against each other in an annual tournament known as Perserikatan, which literally means union. Almost all of these associations were seen as representatives of the main ethnic group in their…

Persija Jakarta has won many titles, including International Tournaments, making the club as the most successful football club in Indonesia. Persija last domestic title comes from the 2018 Liga 1.

Other Achievements

Domestic League Top Tier Division Perserikatan/Liga Indonesia Premier Division/Indonesia Soccer Championship A/Super League Runners-up (6): 1932, 1952, 1975–78, 1987–88, 2005, 2022–23 Domestic Cup Competitions

Piala Presiden Soeharto/Piala Indonesia Runners-up (5): 1972, 1974, 1976, 2005, 2019 AFC (Asian competitions) AFC Champions League Elite First round (1): 2001-02 AFC Champions League Two ASEAN Zonal semi-finals (1): 2018 Friendly Tournament South Vietnam Independence Cup Winners (1): 1973 Brunei Invitational Cup Winners (1): 2000, 2001 Boost Sports Super Fix Cup Winners (1): 2018