Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Looking ahead to 2026, one big story that is in the spotlight in Indonesian football is whether it will be possible Persib Bandung scored a historic hat trick in the Indonesian League.
In the last two seasons, Maung Bandung emerged as the leader of the league. The 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 League 1 titles were achieved in an extraordinary and hard-fought manner.
Bojan Hodak is the name that stands at the forefront of all this success. Because of his two seasons holding Persib, Bojan Hodak also presented two League 1 championship titles to Maung Bandung.
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Now, in the 2025/2026 Super League season, Persib is again on the winning track. The first position in the standings confirms that Maung Bandung’s grip has not dulled.
On the contrary, Persib looks like a fresh Maung who is able to run fast and is ready to ‘grip’ his opponent. This team is still energetic and it doesn’t look like they just want to be cheerleaders this season.
In terms of player material, Persib this season has shown extraordinary squad balance and depth. The Winning Team Persib, namely Ciro Alves, David Da Silva, Tyronne Del Pino, and Nick Kuipers have left the Maung Bandung team.
However, the presence of Thom Haye and Eliano Reijnders since the start of the season has given the team a new dimension. In the goalkeeper position, there is Teja Paku Alam who is still an experienced figure who often appears calm.
Meanwhile, in other sectors, names such as Adam Alis and Saddil Ramdani continue to provide energy and mobility.
Luciano Guaycochea became the creative mastermind, and Ramon Tanque began to emerge as a striker who consistently scored goals. His performance graph went up right when Persib needed him.
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However, strength Persib don’t stop until that level. The news about the possibility of Joey Pelupessy joining from Lommel SK has become a hot topic of conversation on social media recently.
Even though there has been no official confirmation from management, this rumor is not without basis. His contract, which expires in 2026, opens up room for speculation.
If it is realized, Persib’s strength will truly be extraordinary. Joey Pelupessy with his experience in Europe and intelligence will be a general in Persib’s midfield.
If this happens in the second round, Persib could become an even stronger and more frightening team.
The presence of new players in the second round is also very important to strengthen Persib in the AFC Challenge League Two.
Because going far in ACL Two will have a big impact, namely a busy schedule and the potential for player fatigue.
However, improving squad depth will make Persib more combat ready and will not run out of the best soldiers.
Talking about the path to a hat trick for winning the Indonesian League will certainly not be easy. Now Borneo FC continues to show consistency. Borneo has so far been able to appear solid and has a good playing organization.
Persija Jakarta is also one of the favorite competitors in the race for champions this season. The majority of foreign players from Brazil have succeeded in giving Persija’s game a more beautiful and aggressive color. In terms of individual quality, Persija’s foreign players are also good, plus they have Rizky Ridho and Jordi Amat in the back line.
However, if you look at all the variables starting from the winning mentality, the stability of the coach, the experience of winning two consecutive seasons, the quality of the squad, as well as the potential for additional ammunition, Persib is still in the leading position to have the opportunity to become champions this season.
The opportunity for a hat trick to win the Indonesian League is open and it is very possible for Persib to achieve it. The condition is that Persib must be able to maintain consistency until the finish line and the genius of the coach to manage the players so they don’t run out of gas with a busy agenda that must be carried out.
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