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Former
Chelsea and Ghana star Michael Essien had sealed a SHOCK move to Indonesia in March 2017
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Indonesian authorities on
Tuesday banned Michael Essien and Carlton Cole from playing until they get work
permits after their new club did not obtain the necessary documents for the
ex-English Premier League players, AFP reports.
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Carlton
Cole later joined former Chelsea teammate Michael Essien in signing for Indonesian
club Persib Bandung
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The
two were signed with great fanfare last month by Persib Bandung, one of the
country’s best clubs, in a boost for Indonesian football as it seeks to bounce
back from a FIFA suspension and launch a new league.
But
the government-backed Professional Sports Agency found the players did not have
the required work permits.
The
club admitted they had not finished processing the paperwork for the pair
before they made their debuts in the country’s new top-flight Liga 1 at the
weekend.
After
calling in the players and Persib’s management for questioning, immigration
authorities said Tuesday the pair would not be able to play until they obtained
the permits.
“Today
we gave a strong warning to Persib in the form of a letter saying that as long
as Persib had not completed the permits, which should be issued by the manpower
ministry, we are banning Essien and Cole from playing,” said Maulia
Purnamawati, the immigration chief in Bandung, the city where the club is
based.
Persib
said they would abide by the ban while working to get the permits. Joko
Driyono, the secretary general of the country’s football association, said they
would help the club in obtaining the documents.
Persib
said it had sought to process the paperwork a few days before the stars’ first
match on Saturday. The permits were not ready on time, but the football
association and league organizer gave them permission to play.
Michael Essien, Carlton
Cole Caught Without Work Permits In Indonesia
The
Punch reports that Michael Essien and Carlton Cole are facing problems in
Indonesia after their new club admitted it had not obtained work permits for
the ex-English Premier League players.
The
two were signed with great fanfare last month by Persib Bandung, one of the
country’s best clubs, in a boost for Indonesian football as it seeks to bounce
back from a FIFA suspension and launch a new league.
But
the club is now set to be questioned by immigration authorities after the
government-backed Professional Sports Agency found the players did not have the
required work permits.
The
club admitted Monday the players, who made their debuts in the country’s new
top-flight Liga 1 at the weekend, did not yet have the necessary documents.
Persib
said it had sought to process the paperwork a few days before their first
match. The permits were not ready on time, but the football association and
league organiser gave them permission to play.
Manager
Umuh Muchtar accused the sports agency, which reports to the government and
monitors foreign players in the country, of going too far.
“That
they are here is a joy for us, they want to raise up Indonesia’s name in the
world,” he said.
He
added: “Everybody knows that Essien is a world-class player, not an illegal
immigrant.”
Immigration
authorities Monday summoned the club management but it was not clear when the
questioning would take place.
Immigration
official Agustianur, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said: “They
are professionals so they must hold a (work) permit to perform activities in
Indonesia.”
The
official did not indicate what next steps authorities may take.
Essien,
who is Ghanaian, has played for Chelsea, AC Milan and Real Madrid. England’s
Cole has played for Chelsea and West Ham.
Liga
1 replaces an old top-level league, which was halted in 2015 due to a row
between the government and Indonesian FA that triggered turmoil and led to the
country being hit with a one-year ban by FIFA.
The new league and big-name signings are a major boost for football in Southeast Asia’s biggest nation, which has faced problems for years.
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