User:Wira rhea/Bali United F.C.

Bali United Football Club, is an Indonesian professional football club based in Gianyar, Bali, that competes in the Liga 1, the top tier of football in Indonesia. The club was established in February 2015 following Putra Samarinda's relocation to Gianyar from Samarinda, East Kalimantan, when it adopted its present name, badge and home colours.

The club played their inaugural match on 4 April 2015, losing 1–2 to Perseru. They are the one time champions and one time runners up of the Liga 1; in 2017, where they lost head-to-head to Bhayangkara after having the same exact points at the end of the season and finally in 2019, they became champions with four games to spare. The club plays home games at the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar.

Bali United was the first professional football club in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, also second in Asia after Guangzhou Evergrande, to be publicly traded after its shares were offered through the Indonesia Stock Exchange on 17 June 2019. PT Bali Bintang Sejahtera Tbk released as much as 2 billion shares of the total issued and paid up capital after the initial public offering (IPO).

Foundation
After the 2014 Indonesia Super League season ended, Putra Samarinda owner Harbiansyah Hanafiah decided to sell the club to businessman Pieter Tanuri who relocated the Borneo club to Gianyar, Bali, upon noticing the affluent island of Bali had no representative in the top-flight of Indonesian football after the 2013 dissolution of Indonesia Premier League club Bali Devata FC after the IPL stopped. Tanuri, who co-owns tiremaker Multistrada Arah Sarana, chose Gianyar because Bali Devata used a mid-size stadium there called the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium and more importantly because it is located at the center of the island, rather than the coasts where most foreign tourists flock. The new owner wanted the club to attract the local Balinese fans from all corners of the island and rise as the pride of Bali. To achieve that, Tanuri also totally rebranded the club that was renamed Bali United Pusam Football Club with colors and a crest that carries the Balinese identity.

Eventually, the Pusam historical tag was dropped when Bali United began to be considered as an elite club in Indonesia with the most professional management under the direction of Pieter Tanuri's brother Yabes Tanuri.

The club was founded in the end of 2014 season when Harbiansyah Hanafiah, the main commissioner of Putra Samarinda decided to relocate the club to Gianyar, Bali. Gianyar was chosen because there were no representative of Bali province in the highest football tier in Indonesia. After cooperated with Corsa, they announced changes to its name, badge and colours—the team was renamed Bali United Football Club.

The first breakthrough of the club was to appoint Indra Sjafri as manager. In the hands of the former Indonesia national under-19 football team head coach, Bali United was transformed into a club that relied more on young players. He brought several U-19 national team players who had been trained by him to be given the opportunity to play in the top flight competition in Indonesia.

Bumpy start (2015-16)
Bali United started its foray into top-flight Indonesian football in the 2015 season of the Indonesian Super League. However, the season was discontinued only after the rebranded club played two games amid the conflict between the Indonesian government and the country's football association PSSI that also led to a FIFA suspension on all association football activities in Indonesia from May 2015 to May 2016. Bali United in late 2016 finished their first full season in an unauthorized league that tried to fill the gap left by the dissolved Indonesia Super League, the 2016 Indonesia Soccer Championship A. They finished 12th out of 18 teams, a respectable result for a new club.

The first season for the club as Bali United was 2015, in Indonesia Super League. The team's first game was on 4 April 2015, a 1–2 away lose against Perseru, with Lerby Eliandry scored with their first competitive goal. But they were unable to finished their debut season as the league was discontinued by PSSI due to a ban by Imam Nahrawi, Indonesia Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs. They finally able to finished their first full-season in an unofficial league that replaced the temporarily-suspended Indonesia Super League, Indonesia Soccer Championship A where they finished in 12th.

Liga 1 years
In the first Liga 1 season in 2017, Bali United struggled in their first two matches, leading to the sacking of head coach Hans-Peter Schaller. His successor, Indonesian national football team legend Widodo Cahyono Putro, managed to make Bali United compete for the title and become the most productive team in the league. However, the controversial decision from organizers to use the head-to-head results in crowning the Indonesian Police club Bhayangkara despite it having the same exact points with Bali United dashed the hopes of a fairy-tale ending.

Being runner-up of the 2017 season, Bali United in 2018 competed in an AFC competition for the first time in their history. The club made their debut in the AFC Champions League on 16 January 2018 with a 3–1 win over Tampines Rovers in the preliminary stage round 1, but failed to reach the group stage after losing 1–2 to Chiangrai United in the preliminary stage round 2. They also debuted in the AFC Cup where they were eliminated in the group stage after only finishing fourth. Their bad streak continued in the league. A controversy occurred when coach Widodo resigned the day before a key match against Persija, triggering supporters to light flares throughout the match as a symbol of protest against the management. They finished the 2018 season in the 11th spot.

In another twist, Widodo was replaced by the triumphant Persija coach in that controversial match, Brazilian Stefano Cugurra, who led Persija to win the 2018 title. In his first season at Bali United, Cugurra took the club to its first Liga 1 title, cementing the club's elite status in Indonesian football. After a decent start in defending its title in the 2020 season, Bali United faced another mid-competition stop after the league was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

In the first Liga 1 season after being suspended for two years, Bali United struggles in their first two matches which led to the sacking of head coach Hans-Peter Schaller. Widodo Cahyono Putro, who was appointed as his successor, managed to make Bali United compete for the title and become the most productive team in the league. However, the controversy over the extra points for Bhayangkara destroyed their hopes of becoming champions because they lost head-to-head in the 2017 season ranking.

In the 2018 season, Bali United competed in AFC competition for the first time in their history. The club made their debut in the AFC Champions League on 16 January 2018 with a 3–1 win over Tampines Rovers in the preliminary stage round 1, but failed to reach the group stage after losing 1–2 to Chiangrai United in the preliminary stage round 2. They also debuted in the AFC Cup where they were eliminated in the group stage after only finished in 4th. Their poor performance continued in the league. A controversy occurred when coach Widodo resigned the day before the match against Persija, made supporters protest to management by lighting flares throughout the match. They finished the season in 11th.

On 29 November 2018, Widodo was suddenly resigned, with the club stating, "Coach Widodo wants to focus on preparing for the AFC A Pro coaching license which will be held in January 2019. We from management really appreciate this decision." The resigning was linked to a number of issues such as a clause in the contract that states the coach's cooperation with the club ends on three defeats in a row and the situation was not conducive to the changing room. Bali United reacted by appointing former Persija head coach Stefano Cugurra as their new head coach for the new 2019 season and made an exceptional start to the season. On 15 August, Bali United defeated the undefeated TIRA-Persikabo 2–1 at Pakansari to top the Liga 1 once more.

Bali United won the Liga 1 on 2 December 2019 after Borneo threw away a 2–1 lead against PSM, drawing 2–2 at the Andi Mattalata, which also ensured Bali United's qualification for the AFC Champions League for the second time in their history. They were the team that has won title the fastest and has the widest distance from the closest team since the inception of the name Liga 1.

Colours and badge
Bali United have always played in red shirts for home, white for away, and black for third since 2015. The colours are based on the Hinduism sacred color, Tridatu, which then led to the nickname Serdadu Tridatu (Tridatu Warriors).

On 15 February 2015, Bali United launched for the first time in Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium with the announced of new jerseys, players, and badge. The badge shows the word Bali United on top, with the abbreviation of the club's name (BU) and the black-and-white background that is identical to the poleng cloth in Bali symbolizes Rwa Bhineda.

Since the club's foundation, Bali United's kit is manufactured by their own and not collaborating with an apparel. The reason is that by collaborating with an apparel, the price of the team jersey will soar and it is feared that it could disrupt merchandise sales. Their kit is always filled with many sponsors which make their kit always dubbed as a racing jersey.

Since its 2015 launch, Bali United have always played in red when at home and white for most away matches, with a black third kit. The colours are based on the Balinese Hinduism sacred tri-color, Tridatu, which then led to its nickname Serdadu Tridatu (Tridatu Warriors).

The club's crest shows the word Bali United on top, with the abbreviation of the club's name (BU) and the black-and-white background that is identical to the checkered poleng cloth, which in Bali symbolizes Rwa Bhineda or the two opposites that balance the universe. The strong usage of such symbolisms partly explains why Bali United has die-hard fans in the predominantly Hindu island of Bali despite its young age.

Kit manufacturers and sponsors
Since the club's foundation, Bali United's kit was self-manufactured. The reason was that by collaborating with an apparel company, the price of the team jersey would soar out of reach from the Balinese masses that support the club. From a business standpoint, it was feared that it could disrupt merchandise sales as no other club in Indonesia had better success in selling authentic jerseys than professional managed Bali United. In 2021, the club has had a kit deal with Indonesian sportswear brand, Mills, which also happened to be the apparel for their basketball team. Their kit is always filled with multiple sponsors, which make their kit dubbed as a racing jersey. Multistrada Arah Sarana products (Corsa and Achilles tires), Indofood, and YCAB Foundation are the sponsors that always appear on the jersey to this day. Indomie is the sole sponsor on Bali United's kit in the AFC competition in three occasions since 2018.

Stadium
Bali United's current stadium is the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, a stadium situated in Gianyar and leased from from government of Gianyar Regency. It was officially opened on 19 February 2003. Kapten I Wayan Dipta is currently the largest football stadium in Bali.

Before moving to the stadium, Bali United spent in excess of IDR 5 billion to renovate it to meet the standard of Indonesia Super League. They added a new lighting system, upgraded the dressing rooms, repainted some parts of the stadium, repaired the toilets and upgraded other facilities. The inaugural match for Bali United at their new stadium was a 0–1 defeat over Persib in a friendly match on 3 March 2015. Bali United has continued to upgrade the facility, including adding a store, cafe, and playland around the stadium. They also did some renovations for Asian competition in 2018 to meet the standard of the AFC.

Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar, is on a 20-year lease from government of Gianyar Regency. It has been Bali United's home base since the club was formed. Before moving to the stadium, Bali United spent in excess of IDR 5 billion to renovate it to meet the standard of Indonesia Super League. They added a new lighting system, upgraded the dressing rooms, repainted some parts of the stadium, repaired the toilets and upgraded other facilities. The inaugural match for Bali United at their new stadium was a 0–1 defeat over Persib in a friendly match on 3 March 2015. Bali United has continued to upgrade the facility, including adding a store, cafe, and playland around the stadium. They also did some renovations for the Asian competition in 2018 to meet the standard of the AFC.

Supporters
Bali United's supporter is called Semeton Dewata; Semeton meaning brother and Dewata meaning Bali's nickname, Island of Gods. There is also Lady Dewata that specifically named for female supporters. Semeton Dewata usually fill the east stand of Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium. There are more big supporter groups, Northsideboys 12 that fill the north stand and Basudewa Curva Sud that fill the south stand. Northsideboys 12 are an obvious presence at home games played at Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium and are known for their continuous singing and support coming primarily from behind the goal posts at the northern end of the stadium.

Bali United had three mascot representing north, east, and south tribune of Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium. Jalbo, stands for Jalak Boys, takes shape of Jalak Bali (Bali myna) is the mascot from Northsideboys 12. East tribune is represented by Cebol (Celuluk Bola) that takes shape of Celuluk, mythological creatures in Bali and it's a mascot from Semeton Dewata. Basudewa Curva Sud introduced a mascot to represent south tribune called Wabol. Stands for Waraha Bola, Wabol takes shape of Varaha, a Dashavatara of the Hindu god Vishnu.

The song Rasa Bangga, or Pride in English, composed and recorded by Bali band The Resistance, is the club's anthem and has been sung by the all the fans, players, and staffs of Bali United after home or away game since the 2017 season.

A typical Bali United supporter is called Semeton Dewata; Semeton meaning brother and Dewata meaning Bali's nickname, Island of Gods. Lady Dewata is the name for their female supporters. Semeton Dewata ultras usually fill the east stand of Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium. There are other, more exclusive supporter groups. Northsideboys 12 fill the north stand while Basudewa Curva Sud fill the south stand.

Bali United has three mascots representing the north, east, and south tribunes of Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium. Jalbo, stands for Jalak Boys and resembles a Jalak Bali bird (Bali myna), is the mascot of the Northsideboys 12. The east tribune is represented by Cebol (Celuluk Bola) that takes shape of a Celuluk, a mythological creature in Bali folklore. Cebol is a mascot of Semeton Dewata. Basudewa Curva Sud in 2019 introduced a mascot to represent the south tribune called Wabol, which stands for Waraha Bola. Wabol takes shape of Varaha, a Dashavatara of the Hindu god Vishnu.

The song Rasa Bangga, or Pride in English, composed and recorded by Bali band The Resistance, is the club's anthem and has been sung by the all the fans, players, and staff of Bali United after any home or away game since the 2017 season.

Bali United has an online-streaming-based TV channel that airs in YouTube called Bali Utd TV, which started broadcasting on 19 October 2016. It features news updates, player and staff interviews, match highlights (of the first team and the youth squad), and other themed programs.

On 20 May 2017, Bali United officially launched the team's mobile app to connect with the fans. Bali United CEO Yabes Tanuri said the launch of the application is based on the awareness of the importance of technology for marketing development and interaction of a club with its supporters. By using the mobile apps, the supporters can easily access all sorts of team information.

Bali United also owns their own radio station, Bali United FM. With a tagline your sportainment station, they broadcast Bali United games and also latest information about Bali United that airs on 106,9 FM in Bali. Bali United FM is operating in the third floor of Bali United's office.

Head coach history
Below is a list of Bali United head coaches from 2014, when the club's founded until the present day.

League

 * Liga 1
 * Winners (2): 2019, 2021–22
 * Runners-up (1): 2017

Friendly

 * Bali Island Cup
 * Winners (1): 2017
 * Indonesia President's Cup
 * Runners-up (1): 2018
 * Trofeo Bali Celebest
 * Winners (1): 2016
 * Trofeo Persija
 * Runners-up (1): 2016

AFC club competitions record
Notes: Goals by Bali United are listed first.