Selling medals for medical expenses: Indonesia’s retired footballers struggle to make ends meet

OLD PROBLEM

Before retiring from professional football six years ago at the age of 27 due to his medical conditions, Mr Meiga was a rising star. 

He spent his entire adult career with the country’s popular Malang-based club Arema FC. 

For all the recent attention on Mr Meiga, he is not the only former footballer who has made headlines for their pitiful situation after retirement.

“There are retired footballers who really suffer after they stopped playing,” said the head of PSSI’s disciplinary committee Erwin Tobing.

Former footballer Anang Ma’ruf, for example, became the talk of the town in 2015 when he fell into poverty.

The former footballer – who played for several clubs including Arema FC’s arch rival Persebaya Surabaya – retired in 2013 when he was still fit and in his thirties. 

Mr Ma’ruf decided to invest in a business in Bali but failed and lost all his money. 

He became an online-taxi bike driver in 2015 until the mayor of Surabaya recruited him as a local sports agency staff.

Separately, former national goalkeeper for the under-18 team Dedek Hendri, who started off with a local football club in Riau province, also faced hardship after retiring. He ended up being a drug addict and a robber. 

And ex-national football player Alexander Pulalo, who was active between 1993 and 2011, became a driver after quitting the sport. 

Mr Tobing of PSSI told CNA that the players’ lives after they retire from professional football are not the responsibility of the government. 

“Honestly speaking, we cannot take care of every former player. They are not the responsibility of the government, but in some cases, we can help,” he said.

Hence, Mr Tobing urged footballers to be wiser and plan for their future when they are still actively playing football. 

The football clubs, he added, can also help by reminding the players to prepare for their retirement plans and providing them with insurance.

“Clubs need to be more professional. Everything depends on the clubs and the players themselves,” Mr Tobing said.