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Indonesian stricker, Bambang Pamungkas or Bepe, officially hanged his shoes as a professional soccer player. The match with Persebaya Surabaya at the Bung Karno Main Stadium, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/17/2019), became the final match of the Star.

It was not the age that made Bepe decide to hang his shoes from the world of football, but the injuries that continued to bother him. Bepe admitted that his physique no longer supports a career on the gridiron.

"My body cannot respond anymore. This year I injured the most in the last 10 years," says Bepe after the match. He admitted that he was different from Ismed Sofyan who, despite being 40 years old, was still able to play 2 x 45 minutes as a right back.

Bepe has been defending Persija Jakrta since 199 and scored 200 goals throughout his career at the Macam Kemayoran club. Asian soccer organization, AFC, noted Bambang Pamungkas has 85 times strengthened the Indonesian national team with a notch 37 goals which made him listed as the most fertile striker so far.

Many players praised Bepe's talent. Not only productive scoring goals, Bepe also has a positive attitude as a player. His calmness and leadership have been tested, he is worthy of holding the armband. Bepe is never emotional, is not affected by coarse bait from the opposing players. He also never blamed other players.

Several articles praised Bepe's professionalism. He also trained other subjects not directly related to the skills on the field, for example good English skills because it helped him communicate with referees and foreign players. Bepe also records professional data such as the number of goals, number of matches, and so on.

It is not wrong if the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Anis Baswedan, said that Indonesia needed more players in the same class as Bepe to elevate the achievements of Indonesian football in the international arena.

In fact, Indonesia needs 11 classmates Bepe in various lines, ranging from goalkeepers to attackers. Don't wait for players like Bepe to be born, but they must be printed from an early age.[]

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Indonesia Butuh 11 Bepe di Semua Posisi

Penyerang Indonesia, Bambang Pamungkas alias Bepe, resmi gantung sepatu sebagai pemain sepakbola professional. Laga bersama Persebaya Surabaya di Stadion Utama Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, Selasa (17/12/2019), menjadi laga pamungkas sang Bintang.

Ternyata bukan usia yang membuat Bepe memutuskan gantung sepatu dari dunia sepak bola, tetapi cedera yang terus mengganggunya. Bepe mengakui fisiknya tidak lagi mendukung karier di lapangan hijau.

“Badan saya tidak bisa merespon lagi. Tahun ini saya cedera paling banyak dalam 10 tahun terakhir,” ungkap Bepe seusai pertandingan. Ia mengakui dirinya berbeda dengan Ismed Sofyan yang meski sudah berumur 40 tahun tetap mampu bermain 2 x 45 menit sebagai bek kanan.

Bepe sudah membela Persija Jakrta sejak 199 dan mencetak 200 gol sepanjang kariernya di klub Macam Kemayoran tersebut. Organisasi sepak bola Asia, AFC, mencatat Bambang Pamungkas sudah 85 kali memperkuat tim nasional Indonesia dengan torehan 37 gol yang membuatnya tercatat sebagai striker paling subur sejauh ini.

Banyak pemain memuji talenta Bepe. Bukan hanya produktif mencetak gol, Bepe juga punya sikap positif sebagai pemain. Ketenangan dan kepemimpinannya sudah teruji, dia layak memegang ban kapten. Bepe tidak pernah emosional, tidak terpengaruh pancingan kasar dari pemain lawan. Dia juga tidak pernah menyalahkan pemain lain.

Beberapa artikel memuji sikap profesionalisme Bepe. Hal-hal yang tidak berkaitan langsung dengan keterampilan di lapangan pun dilatihnya, misalnya kemampuan bahasa Inggris yang bagus karena itu membantunya berkomunikasi dengan wasit dan pemain asing. Bepe juga mencatat data profesionalnya seperti jumlah gol, jumlah pertandingan, dan sebagainya.

Tak salah jika Gubernur DKI Jakarta, Anis Baswedan, menyebutkan Indonesia membutuhkan lebih banyak pemain sekelas Bepe untuk mengangkat prestasi sepak bola Indonesia di kancah internasional.

Bahkan, Indonesia membutuhkan 11 pemain sekelas Bepe di berbagai lini, mulai dari kiper sampai penyerang. Jangan menunggu pemain seperti Bepe lahir, tetapi harus dicetak sejak usia dini.[]

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