Bali United F.C.

Origins

After the 2014 Indonesia Super League season, Putra Samarinda owner Harbiansyah Hanafiah sold the club to businessman Pieter Tanuri. Tanuri subsequently relocated the club to Gianyar, Bali, citing the absence of a Balinese representative in Indonesia’s top-flight football following the dissolution of Bali Devata in 2013 after the Indonesian Premier League was discontinued.

Gianyar was chosen due to the availability of the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, previously used by Bali Devata, and its central location on the island, which was considered more accessible to local supporters than coastal tourist areas. Tanuri aimed to establish the club as a symbol of Balinese pride and to attract supporters from across the island. As part of this vision, the club underwent a complete rebranding and was renamed Bali United Pusam Football Club, adopting new colours and a crest reflecting Balinese identity.

History

Early years

Bali United's first major move was the appointment of Indra Sjafri as manager. Under the former Indonesia national under-19 head coach, the club focused on developing young talent, bringing several U-19 national team players into the top flight.

The club made its debut in the 2015 Indonesia Super League, playing its first match on 4 April 2015, a 2–1 away loss to Perseru, with Lerby Eliandry scoring the team's first competitive goal. However, the season was discontinued after only two matches due to a conflict between the Indonesian government and PSSI, which ultimately led to a FIFA suspension of Indonesian football.

Bali United completed their first full season in the 2016 Indonesia Soccer Championship A, a temporary league organized to replace the suspended Indonesia Super League. The club finished 12th out of 18 teams, a respectable result for a newly relocated and rebranded club.

In 2017, during the inaugural season of Liga 1, Bali United struggled in their first two matches under head coach Hans-Peter Schaller, who was subsequently sacked. Widodo Cahyono Putro, former Indonesian national team player, took over and led the team to compete for the title. Bali United became the most productive team in the league but finished as runner-up, losing out to Bhayangkara due to head-to-head tiebreaker regulations.

Following their domestic success, Bali United qualified for the AFC competitions for the first time in 2018. They made their AFC Champions League debut on 16 January 2018 with a 3–1 win over Tampines Rovers in the preliminary stage round 1, but were eliminated in the second preliminary round by Chiangrai United. In the AFC Cup, the club finished fourth in the group stage. Domestically, Bali United struggled in Liga 1, finishing the season in 11th place.

On 29 November 2018, Widodo Cahyono Putro resigned as head coach. The club cited personal reasons related to his coaching career, including preparation for the AFC A Pro coaching license, while media reports also mentioned contract clauses and internal issues as contributing factors.

Stefano Cugurra era (2019–2025)

Bali United reacted to the end of the previous era by appointing former Persija head coach Stefano Cugurra ahead of the 2019 Liga 1 season. In his first campaign, Bali United secured the Liga 1 title on 2 December 2019 after a draw between Borneo and PSM confirmed their position as champions. The club's strong performance under Cugurra also qualified them for the AFC Champions League for the second time in their history. The team set a record for being the fastest to win the Liga 1 title since the competition adopted its current name, as well as achieving the largest points gap over the runner-up.

After the 2019 season, the 2020 Liga 1 campaign was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, with competitive matches halted after only a few rounds. When the league resumed with a centralized format for the 2021–22 season, Bali United regained momentum and went on to win their second Liga 1 title under Cugurra, finishing with the highest points total in the competition. This marked the first time a club had achieved back‑to‑back Liga 1 championships in Indonesia, although the 2020 season was not completed.

In the 2022–23 season, Bali United finished fifth in Liga 1, remaining competitive in the upper half of the table. The following 2023–24 season saw the introduction of a Championship Series format for the top four teams, in which Bali United finished fourth after losses to Persib in the semifinals and Borneo Samarinda in the third‑place playoff, despite finishing third in the regular series standings.

During the 2024–25 Liga 1 season, Bali United faced challenges, including multiple defeats and injuries, and spent much of the campaign outside the top positions. Amid this difficult period, Cugurra announced his intention to resign, stating he had reached a point where he felt he had contributed his maximum to the club after several years in charge. He continued to lead the team through the end of the season and received a formal farewell from the club following their final home match.

Post-Cugurra era (2025–present)

After the conclusion of the 2024–25 Liga 1 season, long‑time head coach Stefano Cugurra left Bali United following six seasons in charge, during which he led the club to two Liga 1 titles in 2019 and the 2021–22 season. His departure marked the end of one of the club’s most successful managerial periods.

On 26 May 2025, Bali United officially appointed Johnny Jansen, a Dutch coach previously involved in European football, as the club's new head coach ahead of the 2025–26 Super League season. The appointment represented a strategic shift toward a new footballing philosophy and broader team restructuring following the club's eighth‑place finish in the 2024–25 Liga 1 campaign.

Colours and badge

Bali United traditionally play in red home kits, white away kits, and black third kits, inspired by the sacred Balinese Hinduism tri-colour, Tridatu, which gave rise to the club's nickname, Serdadu Tridatu (Tridatu Warriors).

The club's badge features the words Bali United above the abbreviation BU, set against a black-and-white checkered background inspired by the poleng cloth, symbolizing Rwa Bhineda, or the balance of opposites. Bali United initially produced its own kits until 2021, when the club partnered with Mills, before switching to SPECS in 2022, which remains the kit supplier. The kits are frequently heavily sponsored, earning the nickname racing jerseys.

Stadium

Main article: Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium

Bali United play their home matches at Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar, Bali. Opened in 2003, it is the largest football stadium on the island and has served as Bali United's home since the club's formation in 2015. Prior to their inaugural season, the club invested over IDR 5 billion to upgrade the stadium to meet Indonesia Super League standards, including improvements to lighting, dressing rooms, and other facilities.

The inaugural match for Bali United at Kapten I Wayan Dipta was a 0–1 friendly defeat against Persib on 3 March 2015. Since then, the stadium has hosted all of the club's home games, including domestic and AFC competition fixtures, and remains the central venue for the team and its supporters.

Supporters

Bali United's main supporters are called Semeton Dewata, with Semeton meaning brother and Dewata referring to Bali, the Island of Gods. Female supporters are known as Lady Dewata. This group of supporters usually occupy the east stand of Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, while other supporter groups such as Northsideboys12 and Basudewa Curva Sud fill the north and south stands respectively.

The club has mascots representing the main supporter sections: Jalbo for Northsideboys12, Cebol for Semeton Dewata, and Wabol for Basudewa Curva Sud. Bali United fans sing the club anthem, Rasa Bangga (Pride), composed by the Bali band The Resistance, after all home and away games since 2017.

Media

Bali United operates its own digital and broadcast channels. Bali Utd TV, launched on YouTube on 19 October 2016, features news, interviews, match highlights, and themed programs. The club also has a mobile app, launched on 20 May 2017, to provide news and updates for supporters. Additionally, Bali United FM broadcasts games and news on 106.9 FM from the club's office.

Players

First-team squad

Youth teams

Main article: Bali United F.C. Youth Sector

Out on loan

Club officials

Management

Technical staff

Head coach history

Honours

Records

Domestic records

AFC club competitions records

Other departments

In 2019 season, Bali United established a women's football section with a team in the Liga 1 Putri. The women's team finished third in the group stage and failed to advanced to the next round in their debut season. Since then, the status of the women's team has remained unclear due to the uncertainty surrounding the Liga 1 Putri competition.

Since February 2019, the club has had an eSports section named Island of Gods (IOG). In Free Fire Asia Invitational (FFAI) 2019 tournament, they managed to become champions after getting the highest points with 2,345 points.

In 2020, Bali United established a professional basketball team, Bali United Basketball, which competed in the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) from 2020 until 2025. The team was dissolved after failing to secure sponsorship and comply with league requirements, and did not participate in the 2026 IBL season.

Notes

References

References

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