Foundation and early years Persija has roots that predate the current Indonesian state, which declared independence in 1945. Its forerunner, the
Voetbalbond Indonesia Jacatra (VIJ), was formed on 28 November 1928 as a football club for
Indonesian residents of
Jakarta when the Dutch were still colonizing the country. The name Jacatra refers to a fort on the northern coast of present-day Jakarta. VIJ, along with six other Indonesian clubs, established PSSI on 19 April 1930 and won the first PSSI-authorized competition in 1931. In 1937, VIJ did not enter the competition but after that the club was always in the top division.
Post-independence VIJ changed its name to Persija in 1950, five years after the Indonesian independence. In mid-1951, a club with ethnic
Chinese,
Dutch and Eurasian players merged with the rebranded outfit. As the
Indonesia national football team in the 1950s heavily depended on Persija players, its line-ups at that time were filled by many ethnic Chinese, Dutch and Eurasian players from the Jakarta club.
Professional years (2008–present) The emergence of the
Indonesian Super League in 2008 came amid pressure on Perserikatan teams to stop relying on the state budget and increase professional management. Persija, with the ability to attract supporters, sponsors and quality players, evolved into a well-oiled machine that performed well in different forms of competitions in Indonesia. However, it failed to win a national title in these professional years until 2018 when it championed the
2018 Liga 1. While Jakmania turned the capital city orange after the crowning, supporters of other clubs mocked the victory as engineered so that Persija could finally end its 17-year drought. These naysayers argue that PSSI influenced several decisions during the season that unfairly benefitted Persija, including the goals scored in the 9 December 2018 game that sealed the title. Controversy aside, Persija is undeniably one of Indonesia's leading clubs with a fanbase that is now considered as the biggest in Asia, according to a December 2020 survey by the
Asian Football Confederation. Before the
COVID-19 pandemic, Persija games could easily gather more than 50,000 people inside the stadium with thousands watching on public screens in neighbourhoods across the sprawling capital. Persija holds the record for highest attendance in a
AFC Cup match when it faced with
Johor Darul Ta'zim F.C. in 2018. In April 2022, Persija appointed former
Borussia Dortmund manager,
Thomas Doll, as the new head coach and manager in a three-year deal. Doll brought Persija to second place in
the 2022–23 season by only conceding 27 goals. Persija and Doll agreed to mutually part ways before
the 2024–25 season after a disappointing eight place finish in
the 2023–24 Liga 1 season. Doll was replaced by former
Ratchaburi head coach,
Carlos Peña in a one-year deal for
the 2024–25 Liga 1 season. ==Stadium==