Persib Bandung are facing the possibility of a major transfer setback after FIFA ruled in favor of former coach Robert Rene Alberts in a dispute over outstanding financial obligations. The decision from FIFA’s Players’ Status Chamber requires the Indonesian club to settle unpaid amounts and could result in a ban on registering new players for up to three consecutive transfer windows if the payment is not completed within the specified period. The case centers on an agreement reached between Alberts and PT Persib Bandung Bermartabat on February 18, 2025, covering a remaining obligation of Rp3 billion to be paid through a structured installment plan.

Under the agreement, the debt was supposed to be settled in 10 installments between March and December 2025. The first eight payments were set at Rp225 million per month from March through October, while the final two installments in November and December were increased to Rp600 million each. The agreement also included six economy-class flight tickets, with four tickets eligible for business-class upgrades. The additional upgrade costs were supposed to be deducted from the final two installments, but the arrangement became a source of disagreement when Persib deducted Rp131.25 million from the first payment in March. As a result, Alberts received only Rp93.75 million, while the April and May installments were also left unpaid.

Alberts subsequently brought the dispute before FIFA in June 2025 after claiming that Persib had failed to honor the agreed payment schedule. During the proceedings, the club did not submit a formal response despite being invited to present its position. FIFA found that the available communication between the two parties indicated that the ticket upgrade costs were intended to be deducted from the November and December payments rather than from the initial March installment. The unilateral deduction was therefore considered invalid, while Alberts’ claim concerning the outstanding payments from March through May was accepted. FIFA did not rule on the installments from June to December because those payments had not yet reached their respective due dates when the complaint was filed.

As part of the ruling, Persib must pay Alberts Rp581.25 million in outstanding obligations, together with annual interest of five percent calculated from the respective payment deadlines. The club has 45 days from the notification of the decision to settle the debt and accumulated interest. Failure to comply within that period could trigger a registration ban preventing Persib from adding new players at both domestic and international levels. The restriction can remain in place for a maximum of three consecutive registration periods, while continued failure to settle the obligation could see the matter referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, creating an additional challenge for Persib’s squad planning.