Indonesia’s fix-it man Erick Thohir too busy helping president’s re-election campaign to lead scandal-hit football body
- An online petition is calling on the charismatic businessman to save a sport wracked by corruption and mismanagement
- Ex-chairman Edy Rahmayadi resigned on Saturday because of a match-fixing scandal
Erick Thohir appears to be Indonesia’s favourite go to man to solve any problem, be it politics or sport. The billionaire media and entertainment tycoon, who organised a magnificent Asian Games in August, is seen as the man who can save Indonesia’s scandal-hit football governing body (PSSI) .
Days after the chairman Edy Rahmayadi resigned because of a match-fixing controversy, Thohir’s name has been put forward as the best candidate take over at the top.
In fact, calls for Thohir to lead Indonesian football preceded Rahmayadi’s resignation. In September, an online petition was started on change.org calling for the 48-year-old Inter Milan minority shareholder to take charge of the country’s battered football set-up.
Thohir, though, dismissed such speculation saying he had other matters on his mind. He has a much bigger task ahead of him as chief of the campaign to help president Jokowi stay in power in elections in April. He is also head of the Indonesia’s football league, tasked with raising the standard of players and improving professionalism in clubs.
“I think Edy has done his best for the PSSI,” Thohir told local media. “We now need to consolidate and prevent our team from slipping down the Fifa rankings.