Ex-BVB coach goes to Jakarta
Thomas Doll continues exotic career
04/23/2022 11:57 am
Thomas Doll has been a player and coach in the Bundesliga for a long time, but recently the former national player has been drawn around the world: stations in Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Hungary and Turkey are in the Vita Dolls. Now it’s even further afield: Doll is now working in Indonesia.
Thomas Doll left his mark on German football: After the reunification, the midfielder, who was brilliant on a good day, switched to Hamburger SV in the Bundesliga as one of the big stars of East German football. Later, after a guest appearance at Lazio Rome, he played for Eintracht Frankfurt. After the end of his career, the two-time East German champion and eighteen-time DFB national player returned to the Bundesliga as a coach: He trains “his” Hamburger SV, later he sits in 49 games for Borussia Dortmund on the bench before he travels: According to stations in Turkey, in Saudi Arabia and a successful engagement at Ferencvaros Budapest with numerous titles, he is relegated with Hannover 96 before moving on to Cyprus.
After leaving APOEL Nicosia in December 2019, Doll was waiting for a new engagement. Now it’s clear: It’s going to be exotic. The former Bundesliga coach is staying away and is continuing his coaching career in Indonesia. The 56-year-old former national soccer player has received a three-year contract with the Persija Jakarta club, as the eleven-time champion from the Indonesian capital announced. According to the announcement, he also assumes the duties of a manager. Doll is the only German coach in the league.
“Of course we very much hope that he can improve the team’s performance even further,” the club said. Doll himself is optimistic: “I’m honored to be able to join one of the biggest teams in Indonesia. Of course I want to take Persija to a higher level.” Persija Jakarta is one of the most successful clubs in the country with eleven league titles, the home stadium Utama Gelora Bung Karno seats almost 78,000 spectators. The last championship title dates from 2018.
Persija Jakarta finished eighth out of 18 teams in the Premier League last season, which ended at the end of March – 30 points behind champions Bali United. “I can’t wait to meet you all in Jakarta,” Doll says in a video on his new employer’s Twitter account to Persija’s three million followers.