Who's dressed to kill? And whose shirt leaves much more to be desired?
We're now four games into the 2021/22 Liga 1 Indonesia season and we've got to see all 18 teams of the league donning their home shirts in their matches. But who has the best shirt of them all? And who has a shirt that will surely be forgotten come the end of the season?
To that end I've created a tier list that ranks all 18 home shirts from this season's Liga 1. The shirts will be divided into six categories, all named after memorable quotes from characters created by Matt Groening:
Shut Up and Take My Money! - the best shirts of them all, which would make you emulate Philip J. Fry, take out your wallet, and buy the shirt in question without thinking. The shirt will have to score between 90-100 to get into this tier.
Woo-hoo! - congratulations, Homer Simpson likes your shirt! But even though they're good, they're not world-beaters, but hey at least you've impressed the Simpsons' patriarch! The shirt will have to score between 75-89 to get into this tier.
Okily Dokily! - in the words of Ned Flanders, you've got an okay shirt! They don't disappoint anyone, but they don't impress anyone either. The shirt will have to score between 65-74 to get into this tier.
Meh - Bart and Lisa Simpson aren't impressed and you should too. Your shirt is the bare minimum of football shirts and you must improve upon your design next season. The shirt will have to score between 50-64 to get into this tier.
D'oh! - Your shirt is a carwreck, enough said. You'll facepalm like Homer Simpson when you see this shirt and lament what went wrong for the rest of the season. The shirt will have to score between 40-49 to get into this tier.
Worst. Shirt. Ever. - You heard Comic Book Guy. Your shirt does not deserve to exist and should be thrown into the nearest dumpster fire as soon as possible. The shirt will have to score between 0-39 to get into this tier.
With all the technicalities out of the way, here's my tier list for this season's Liga 1 Indonesia home shirts! Now remember, this is solely based on my opinion so some of you might disagree with me on this.
Now, let's get into the lowdown on each teams' home shirt.
Arema FC - Shut Up and Take My Money!
Embracing "The Land of the Fighters" as their main theme for this season, Arema's home shirt incorporates the walls of an ancient temple, something that is quite intertwined with the history of the Greater Malang region. The end product is a badass-looking shirt that made those who wore them look like literal colossuses - worthy of the Rp450,000 that you must shell out for them. This navy beauty scores a neat 94/100.
Bali United - Woo-Hoo!
The Serdadu Tridatu are my current local team and without being biased towards them, I placed Bali United in the upper echelons of the "Woo-Hoo!" tier. With the defending Liga 1 champions working together with an apparel company for the first time in their brief history, expectations were heavy on Mills for them to deliver. And with the concept of combining football shirts with the iconic Barong tie-dye shirt, I'd say that they've done a great job on it.
And why does this Rp450,000-worth shirt isn't on the "Shut Up and Take My Money!" tier? It's that annoying KukuBima Ener-G! patch on the chest. The shirt would've ranked higher if they printed the logo directly on the shirt but nope, they had to plaster a red sheet of polyflex with the logo printed on it. It kinda looks cheap and in my eyes it decreases the beauty of this shirt. Nonetheless, Bali United scores a decent 89/100 in my eyes.
Barito Putera - D'oh!
Dear God. Barito retained their shirt from the 2020 season for this year and even though diagonal lines could make a shirt look more badass, it can severely thrash the shirt if not done right and unfortunately for Barito it's the latter. The lines across the shirt are too distracting and drowned out the simplistic design that the shirt has. Not even the decision to not flood the shirt with sponsor logos could save this monstrosity and the Laskar Antasari scores pretty low in my opinion.
The only reason why Barito didn't sit in the Worst. Shirt. Ever. tier is the fact that unlike other Indonesian clubs, the Banjarmasin-based outfit decided to print the names of their players below the rear number, with the club's name being printed above it - a common practice in the German Bundesliga. The message that Barito are trying to send here is that no player is bigger than the club and I like that very much. But it still scores a lowly 47/100 so yeah.
Bhayangkara FC - Okily Dokily!
Bhayangkara have released a number of simple yet impressive shirts over the years and 2021 sees the simplest design of them all from The Guardian. A plain golden top with a variety of sponsors being tacked on, it's not the best shirt in the planet but also it's not the worst. However this simplicity in my eyes worked against them as it looks...boring, I guess?
Mills are usually known for their simple yet powerful designs but for Bhayangkara it's a rare blimp in their impressive CV. I like their 2021 pre-season shirt better, a no-frills design with a watermark of Bhayangkara's logo being printed on the front. If they used that design for Bhayangkara's league shirt they might rank a bit higher but hey, what's done's is done. The Indonesian Police-backed club are sill managing their multitude of sponsors well so kudos to that. 73/100.
Borneo FC - Shut Up and Take My Money!
Samarinda-based Borneo FC are playing in maroon for the first time ever after ditching their usual orange earlier this year and local apparel company Etams did not disappoint at all with their work for the Pesut Etam. A maroon-and-black camo top with deliciously-applied sponsors? Yes please! And not even the goofy Mr. Cuanisasi logo that they've slapped on recently could ruin this shirt. Indeed, it's just that good. Manyala indeed! It's a strong 91/100 from me.
Madura United - Woo-Hoo!
You cannot go wrong in making a Madura United home shirt - red-and-white hoops and that's it. XTen in their maiden design for the Laskar Sapeh Kerrab did not disappoint and although it's not one of the best Madura United shirts around (MBB's 2019 design still takes the cake for me), it's a decent design nonetheless. I'm especially a fan of those patterns that they've slipped into the shirt colors, it gives more character, and the Kangean Energy logo, which was too "in-your-face" in 2020, takes a backseat to provide a subtle yet emphatic message. Decent shirt, it's an 80/100 from me.
Persebaya Surabaya - Shut Up and Take My Money!
After 4 years of donning the crocodile skin-design, Persebaya has finally ditched them in favor of subtle tributes towards Surabaya's landmarks. Among them are the Tugu Pahlawan, the mosaic from the walls of the Al-Akbar National Mosque, the Bambu Runcing Monument, and the iconic Sura and Baya Statue. These tributes gave the Persebaya shirt an elegant and powerful presence - a great way of reinventing yourselves without losing your identity altogether.
Sure their Rp850,000 price tag for the authentic version of the shirt is f*cking astronomical, but from what I've seen with their replica and supporters' version shirts in previous years, the Bajul Ijo managed to translate their philosophies very well to the different versions of their shirts, allowing you to have that commanding presence of Indonesia's second-largest city regardless of the type of shirt that you're wearing. An excellent shirt that embodies Surabaya itself, Persebaya gets an impressive 94/100 from me.
Persela Lamongan - Okily Dokily!
Excellently combining their iconic sky blue with a dash of navy, Persela's home shirt for 2021 is definitely one of the best ones that the Laskar Joko Tingkir have produced in recent memory. The spirit of the legendary Joko Tingkir is still well-embodied in the shirt with the presence of red, white, and black accents on the collar, while the traditional Lamongan-style batik design that is the Batik Sendang Duwur has been printed subtly into the shirt, giving a faint impression of stripes when seen up close.
However this shirt is in the "Okily Dokily!" tier for two reasons - a. Persela's better shirts in my opinion have been their away attires and b. it's unfortunately overshadowed by the better shirts in this list. It's not that it's bad, it's just overshadowed by awesome. I'm giving this shirt a nice 73/100.
Persib Bandung - Shut Up and Take My Money!
Persib and Sportama has been a match made in heaven and there's this hype of anticipation that surrounds each shirt release that the Maung Bandung does. This year is no exception and Persib came up with this minimalistic design for the 2021 season. The side from Priangan might rival Bali United in terms of "who can squeeze the most sponsors into a shirt," but unlike previous years Persib have executed this quite elegantly, achieving a balance of aesthetics and sponsor appeal.
The philosophy behind this shirt is why it's high up in this tier, with the shirt incorporating the mountains surrounding Bandung and the city's rivers. It gives a message of "one for all, all for one" where Persib players always got each other's backs in games, the epitome of teamwork spirit. It is also crafted by the finest of materials that gives a sense of durability despite it being a player-issue shirt, something that's quite fragile compared to replicas or supporter version shirts. Don't let that Rp500,000 price tag turn you off - with it's 92/100 score, it's worth every penny.
Persija Jakarta - Meh
Persija and Juara deciding to use their 2020 shirts for 2021? Excellent move, considering it's powerful philosophy and elegant design that belittles it's eye-gouging price tag. Throwing in some poorly-placed sponsors into the mix? Now that's a recipe for disaster. The 2020 Persija shirt pays tribute to the city's network of public transport and I have to say that's an excellent philosophy, considering that the Indonesian capital is quite notorious for its congested traffic and more respect should be paid to its hardworking public transport. And despite the presence of sponsors slightly undermining the design, Persija's shirt for 2020 is still quite decent in my books. Same cannot be said for 2021. Front-wise it's still quite decent - Amman Mineral and Indomie might create a slightly uneven look on the shirt with their logos, but as PSIS in 2019 shows, you can combine Indomie's boxy logo with another sponsor and pull off a win.
Either resize the Amman or Indomie logo or pick either one of the two, then you'll get yourselves a winner. However, throw in the oversized KukuBima Ener-G! C1000 logo between the club badge and the apparel badge, and you'll throw the entire aesthetics of the shirt into disarray. And don't get me started with the back of the shirt - the Anargya Aset Manajemen logo is oversized and design-wise it's not suitable to be placed at the back of the shirt. That giant wavy logo suits better as a lone chest sponsor or as a sleeve sponsor, not something that you put above the player's names with that size. And ruining this shirt even more is the Viral Blast Global logo that has been cheaply and hastily slapped onto the lower back of the shirt.
I mean I get it, sponsors are important for a club's income but as I said for Persib's entry, you need to balance aesthetics with sponsor appeal. Should you get that wrong, then what you have is a decent shirt that has been ruined by poor sponsor application layout, and sadly Persija's shirt for 2021 fell victim into this. It's a 55/100 from me - sorry Macan Kemayoran.
Persik Kediri - Woo-Hoo!
The only Liga 1 club this season without a main chest sponsor (so far), Persik and Noij once again collaborate together to create a fierce beauty of a shirt. Purple and red goes together hand-in-hand to create a dark and menacing color combination, while the faint tiger stripes on the shirt embodies the nickname of Persik - the Macan Putih, the White Tigers. The lack of a chest sponsor enhances the shirt even more as it allows the stripes to take centre-stage front-and-center, providing an air of formidability to those wearing it. Southeast Asian clubs playing without a main chest sponsor usually wore dull, forgettable shirts that looked like gym uniforms more than anything - I'm looking at you, Hong Linh Ha Tinh of 2020 - but Persik managed to subvert that with an awesome shirt that would be ruined should one improperly place a chest sponsor on it.
In a league packed with teams spamming sponsors left, right, and center, Persik provides a breath of fresh air not felt since the 2019 season, when PS TIRA spent the first half of that season without a main chest sponsor. I'm giving this shirt a well-deserved 85/100.
Persikabo 1973 - Woo-Hoo!
Say what you want about Persikabo's questionable choice of a main sponsor - a betting company in a country that bans betting? Really? - but Adhoc did an excellent job in crafting the Laskar Padjadjaran's home shirt for the 2021 season. Embracing Bogor's nickname as the "Rainy City" as the core philosophy behind this shirt, Persikabo players found themselves wearing a breathtaking cascading design that brings to mind a lush rainforest in each home game. Considering that Bogor is home to the Bogor Botanical Gardens, the largest of such gardens in Indonesia, there's this feeling of "back-to-nature" whenever I see Persikabo's home shirt this season and as an Environmental major, I'm digging this very much.
Definitely an upgrade compared to Persikabo's average-looking home shirt from 2020, the only thing that bothers me from this shirt is that weird-looking "1973" text that they've scribbled underneath Persikabo's iconic twin kujangs. But other than that, I'm giving this shirt an 88/100. Go get one for your own collection before it runs out!
Persipura Jayapura - Woo-Hoo!
Persipura are another team that retained their 2020 shirt for the 2021 season and I think it's for the best. After two years of playing in an "out-of-the-box" design that saw them playing in black with red stripes, the Mutiara Hitam alongside their long-time apparel supplier Specs decided to go back to the classics with a red-and-black striped design that resembled a modern AC Milan shirt. It's solid, it's crisp, and it's elegant, definitely one of my favorite shirts from 2020 and I'm glad that they're sticking with it for 2021.
But again, nothing is perfect in this world and for Persipura it's their astronomical price tag for their shirt. If you buy them in Java it's a mere Rp450,000, sounds reasonable for a shirt of Specs' calibre. But if you buy it from Persipura's official store all the way in Jayapura and you're living in Java...that's around Rp850,000 worth of purchase and shipping. Hope you won't cry tears of blood, but for a shirt that I rate 82/100, I guess it's worth it.
Persiraja Banda Aceh - Okily Dokily!
From the easternmost team of the Liga 1 we go to the westernmost team of the Liga 1 in Persiraja Banda Aceh. Making a Persiraja home shirt is quite simple - combine an Acehnese graphical design with an orange shirt and you're all set to go. Adhoc did a decent job with Persiraja's home shirt for this year, with an exciting mix of orange with black accents being paired together with the special region's legendary Rencong design. The shirt was meant to serve as a testament of Persiraja's braveness and tenacity in each and every match, and I have to agree with that, it's indeed a fierce little specimen. The Lantak Laju tagline at the back of the shirt does not lie at all, Persiraja are ready to crush anyone who stood up against them with that shirt of theirs.
Unfortunately like Persela, Persiraja's home shirt was overshadowed by the better shirts in this tier list, however that doesn't mean that they've made a bad shirt this year. It's a 73/100 from me as it certainly won't set the world alight, but it will certainly endear itself to you in the long run.
Persita Tangerang - Okily Dokily!
The last team in the league to retain their shirts from last season into this season, Persita's home shirt may look bland at a first glance, but once you get to know it better you'll find it to be one awesome little fella. It's comfortable, form-fitting, and the torch watermark embodies the brave spirit of the Pendekar Cisadane. Persita's home and away shirts happened to be the only shirts for the 2021 Liga 1 season that I actually have so I can say that based on my experience with them, that I enjoy wearing these.
Other than the torch watermark in the front, the theme of bravery was further emphasized by the tiny fiery watermarks on the sleeves and shoulders, coupled with a dash of red accents on the cuffs. I own the supporters' version of Persita's 2020/22 shirts, and I was pleasantly surprised to see the club badge being made with cutting-edge, high quality material that other clubs usually reserve for their authentic player issue shirts. And what surprises me even more is that the home supporters' version shirt is being priced at a modest Rp229,000. Quite the steal considering that the only noticeable difference between the SVs and the player issue shirts are how the sponsors were applied to the shirts and how the materials for the shirts were assembled together.
Persita's marketing techniques can be seen as being smart or being questionable - the sizable price difference between the similarly-designed SVs and player issues aside, the Pendekar Cisadane charge Rp100,000 more for the home player issue shirt compared to the away and third - but all in all it's still a decent little shirt to own. 74/100 for me, it's average compared to the other shirts in this list but it's still an enjoyable treat, though the club's pricing strategy could put some people off buying them.
PSIS Semarang - Shut Up and Take My Money!
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the best home shirt of the 2021 Liga 1 season.
RIORS have proven themselves to be above and beyond the other apparel companies in Indonesia and it came as a huge surprise that they haven't expanded their wings overseas yet. In their fourth year together as partners, RIORS and PSIS released a simple, minimalistic, yet breathtaking and magnificent home shirt for the Mahesa Jenar's 2021 season. A combination of royal blue, navy blue, and a delicious dash of gold for the apparel logo, sponsors and the NNS creates a sexy and formidable attire that would surely make any PSIS fan proud. Sure the wall of sponsors at the front of the shirt deducts some brownie points off this beauty, but the technological advancements that RIORS kept on bringing for their creations made any PSIS shirt release a worth-waiting event.
Sure RIORS and PSIS charge lots of money for their shirts - Rp300,000 for a supporters' version shirt OMG - but be assured, it's worth every buck. In your hands is the pinnacle of Indonesian football shirts, one of the masterpieces of Southeast Asian football, and proof that the region's local apparel companies can duke it out with the big boys that are Adidas, Nike, Puma and co. This shirt is definitely worthy of its 96/100 score!
PSM Makassar - D'oh!
What the actual f*ck.
After years upon years of quality shirts brought to us by the likes of Nike, Kelme, and Umbro, PSM's first year of using in-house shirts proves to be a massive dud. At a glance the shirt looked like a training shirt, the hideously huge Honda logo doing nothing to help the shirt at all. It is obvious that the shirt was rushed to be released in the last minute and the design team over at PSM must learn from the likes of Maccabi Haifa, Young Boys, Honda FC, and the now-defunct Thai Honda in how to use the Japanese automotive giants' logo properly for a football shirt - get rid of the wing-like logo because that won't work as a large-sized logo on a shirt.
Despite this horror show, PSM's 2021 home shirt escaped the dreaded Worst. Shirt. Ever. category for a number of reasons - the Juku Eja's well-documented financial crisis had forced them into a tight spot and they already did their best with their limited resources and the little time that they had. Additionally the traditional Bugis pattern - the pride of the South Sulawesi region - has been integrated seamlessly into the shirt. Those two points helped the shirt escape the dreaded depths of this list's lowest tier and the harshest of judgements that came with it, however it still doesn't stop me from crowning the wooden spoon for this shirt. 45/100, but give the PSM in-house shirt-making department more time and resources, and they will craft up something better, trust me.
PSS Sleman - Okily Dokily!
Here we are, the final shirt of this tier list. PSS were the first team to release their 2021 shirts and their home shirt looks smart and decent. Tastefully-applied sponsors, the crisp green that has become their identity, the Nike-esque lightning bolt design on the sides. Looks like PSS have produced themselves yet another stunner for the 2021 season.
And they put all of that down the drain once more sponsors came in. While Viral Blast Global gave some spark to the otherwise vacant backside of the shirt, the addition of SKS Ready Mix and Haji Tjandra Racing Team to the front of the shirt kind of took the aesthetics off-balance. With the rest of the sponsors - Bank Mandiri, Indomie, and Ace of News - have been carefully aligned properly, the two new sponsors made the shirt look more cluttered. I think it's better for one of them to accompany Viral Blast Global at the back of the shirt and the other being moved to the sleeves, or both new sponsors can occupy the sleeves.
Without the new sponsors PSS' 2021 home shirt could easily occupy the upper echelons of Woo-Hoo! or even the lower reaches of Shut Up and Take My Money!, but their addition meant that PSS occupy the upper reaches of Okily Dokily!, being prevented from falling even further down the tier by both their excellent design and the fact that you can buy sponsorless versions of the shirt to admire their beauty to the fullest. It's a 74/100 from me!
And this concludes my tier list for the 2021/22 Liga 1 Indonesia home shirts! Let me know what do you think about this list, whether you agree with this or you disagree, but don't forget to keep things civil. And look forward for more of this...should I have the time and energy that is. Would you be keen to see how I would rank the away and third shirts of this season's Liga 1 or would you be keen to see me do this for other Southeast Asian nations, just let me know. As always, it's been a pleasure writing in this blog, and until next time!
Commentaires