Young Indonesian Player Is On Ajax Amsterdam's Radar, Program Will Start in January 2027

Jakarta - Young Indonesian talents will gain a new development pathway through a partnership between the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and Ajax Amsterdam.

The Dutch top division club will scout promising Indonesian players to be included in its talent pool, where they will receive further development through Ajax's established coaching programme.

Announced on Saturday (12/9/2026), the PSSI and Ajax partnership is scheduled to commence operations in January 2027. This initiative will not only target young players, but also support the development of high-potential coaches across Indonesia.

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir confirmed that Ajax will be authorised to select players assessed as having sufficient ability to join the club's official talent pool.

"Ajax will be able to select eligible players for their talent pool. This arrangement will also allow us to raise the competitive standard of our young footballers going forward," Erick stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Saturday.

Through this collaboration, PSSI aims to continuously improve the quality of Indonesia's youth players by leveraging Ajax's decades of development experience and renowned academy philosophy.

In its official public announcement, Ajax confirmed this partnership will include a nationwide programme that gives Indonesian footballers the opportunity to develop using the club's proven coaching methodology and talent development principles.

Ajax will also deliver structured training programmes for coaches across all regions of Indonesia.

Erick emphasised that this partnership with Ajax has a distinct, separate focus compared to PSSI's existing agreement with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB).

He explained the Ajax collaboration targets elite level development, focused specifically on identifying and nurturing gifted young players and high-potential coaches. Meanwhile, the KNVB partnership is centred on grassroots football foundation work and early-stage youth player scouting.

Erick noted that Ajax holds an extensive proven track record in developing both professional footballers and coaches, with many graduates from the club's system going on to compete at the highest levels of world football across multiple countries.

"Ajax has such a long, well-documented history when it comes to developing talent and coaches. Countless players and coaches that came through Ajax have gone on to build global careers, even becoming football legends in many different nations," Erick added.

Beyond player scouting, this agreement also creates official pathways for Indonesian coaches to participate in joint development programmes with Ajax. The club will deploy its own coaching staff to Indonesia on scheduled placements, while also identifying local coaches with the potential to attend exclusive development programmes hosted at Ajax's facilities.

Ajax Amsterdam CEO Menno Geelen welcomed the partnership, stating that Indonesia holds enormous untapped potential for football growth, and described this agreement with PSSI as an honour for the club.

Ajax also noted that Indonesia represents a large, high-potential market with an extremely passionate football fanbase, which presents the club with a valuable opportunity to share its knowledge and expertise to support Indonesian football talent development.

This partnership between PSSI and Ajax will run for an initial 12 month term, from January 2027 through to January 2028. Following this initial period, both parties will conduct a full formal review to discuss extending the agreement and expanding its operational scope.

"So this partnership will run from January 2027 to January the following year, that is approximately one full year. After that period we will conduct a full evaluation, then progress negotiations for a longer, expanded cooperation agreement," Erick confirmed.