REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian national team player Jay Idzes is proud to become the first Indonesian player to play in Italy's Serie A after making his debut for Venezia against Fiorentina at Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence last Sunday that ended in a 0-0 draw. Idzes's debut ran for 68 minutes before being replaced by Martin Svoboda.
“I am very proud to be the first Indonesian player to play in Serie A,” Idzes told the PSSI website in Jakarta on Tuesday (27/8/2024).
Idzes was played as a starter by Venezia coach Eusebio Di Francesco in a three-defender formation alongside Marin Sverko and Giorgio Altare. On his Serie A debut, the 24-year-old central defender almost scored in the 18th minute when getting a chance inside the La Viola penalty box.
.He got Alfred Duncan's brilliant pass from a corner football, but his kick bounced over the crossbar. The 1.9-metre tall central defender also produced three sweeps, one interception, one tackle, 58 touches, 52 passes with 96 percent accuracy, two successful hull passes, one duel win from four occasions, and one aerial duel win from four occasions. Idzes hopes his debut inspires other Red and White players.
“I hope that more and more Indonesian players will play at a high level later. Hopefully my achievements can inspire many people,” Idzes said.
Idzes insists his body condition is not a problem despite the fact that he was caught on camera getting leg problems during his fight against La Viola. He is ready to join the Indonesian national team for the 2026 World Cup Qualifying match of the third round of the Asian zone against Saudi Arabia and Australia.
“No. Everything is fine. Nothing serious,” said the Dutch-born Mierlo player.
The Garuda squad first travelled to King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, to play against Saudi Arabia on Friday (6/9/2024) at 01:00pm. After that they hosted Australia at Gelora Bung Karno Utama Stadium, Jakarta, Tuesday (10/9) at 19:00pm.
“We have an incredible opportunity in front of us. We will play against great countries and we have a chance to qualify for the World Cup,” Idzes explained. “We want to show what we can do and we want to further elevate Indonesia's name on the world map,” he said.
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