Hilton Moreira Returns to Indonesia, Brings Brazilian Coaching License and Flags League Attendance

After six years away from Indonesia, Hilton Moreira is back on the national football stage, not as a player but as Ze Gomez's assistant coach at Madura United for the 2026/2027 BRI Super League. His presence brings fresh experience from Brazil and China, and also reflects the shifting landscape of the domestic competition.

Moreira is no stranger to Indonesian football fans. Over 11 years with Deltras Sidoarjo, Persib Bandung, Sriwijaya FC, and Persipura Jayapura, he recorded 261 appearances and 120 goals—an impressive record for an attacking midfielder often deployed as a striker. He decided to hang up his boots at age 39 with Sriwijaya FC in the 2019/2020 season, just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

The pandemic forced him home to Brazil, but his football blood did not fade. In his home country, Moreira completed a four-year bachelor's degree in sports while taking coaching courses at the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). “I now have a coaching license. Next I will get a pro license in Brazil,” he said, as quoted by Bola.com on Friday (16/10/2026).

His coaching journey has not always been smooth. After earning his license, Moreira flew to China to run a football school (SSB) partnered with Brazil. Only a year into that role, he was pulled in to coach a Chinese tier-three professional club that had just sacked its coach. The experience gave him a different perspective on youth development and club management outside Indonesia.

Moreira's return to Indonesia came about by chance. His agent in Portugal asked him to help Ze Gomez, a Portuguese coach who cannot speak Indonesian. Moreira then doubled as translator and assistant coach. “I returned to Indonesia by chance. My agent in Portugal asked me to help coach Ze Gomez. Because he can't speak Indonesian, I became his translator as well as assistant coach,” he explained.

From the assistant coach's seat, Moreira sees significant progress in club management and player handling. He highlighted the use of sports technology, better training equipment, and the presence of match analysis teams. “Many young people are becoming coaching staff at every club,” he said. This phenomenon signals the professionalization of Indonesian football increasingly moving toward role specialization, in line with the demands of modern competition.

However, one thing surprised him: the decline in attendance compared with when he was still playing. “What surprised me is that the crowds aren't as big as they used to be. Yet the quality of Super League matches is very good. I see only big clubs like Persib, Persija, and Persebaya still draw big crowds. Maybe one more, Bali United also has a big following,” he concluded.

The decline in attendance is a shared task for the league operator and clubs. Beyond the quality of play, factors such as ticket prices, stadium access, match schedules, and the stadium experience need to be evaluated. Moreira, with cross-continental experience, could be a bridge to adapt best practices from Brazil and China to the Indonesian context.

Going forward, Moreira's role at Madura United will be tested. Can he help Ze Gomez lift the team's performance while transferring the coaching knowledge he gained abroad? More importantly, will the presence of figures like Moreira push other clubs to take more seriously the building of licensed, globally minded coaching teams? Indonesian football fans await the answers on the pitch.