THE BALLADS BETWEEN AREMA AND JOKO SUSILO: SEPARABLE OR INSEPARABLE?

Arema FC or Arema (former known as Arema Malang), is a soccer club from Malang, East Java, Indonesia. There is always a “behind story” of everything, and it happens as well to Arema. For some people in Malang believe that Arema, was a local legend for people lives in Malang, Jawa Timur. Sponsors are the “oil engine”, a soccer club can finance themselves using sponsors. People will easily notice sponsors by looking at soccer team’s jersey. It was also happened with Arema, they need sponsors, they have it and they put the name of sponsor screened on their jersey. But, the problem is, sponsors only interest when a soccer club routinely follow match. And to follow a match, a soccer club relies their future to coach.

Joko Susilo or known as Getuk, is no longer strangers. He started his career as soccer player when he was still 16 years old in 1986, he joined Persikaba Blora although he was born in Cepu, Indonesia. he spend more than one year to exercise and learn about being a coach, two years was not a short time, he was “graduated” as junior coach on 2006 and later on 2007 he was trusted by the management to be junior coach  at Arema. As time passes by, since his first debuted as junior coach, he and the team practice a lot, its dynamic and full of stories, good stories and vice versa.

Arema’s performance is getting left behind compared with their own performa’s several times before, and the downturn happened during Aji’s rule, they lose five match, and they got only four points from 15 points. Fans of Arema (Aremania and Aremanita) were reacted, they protests by writing some complaints through social media, they demand the management to fire Aji for not making any progress. But, the management insist on hiring Getuk as the coach, will the management finally realise