stronger band of supporters. Semi-professional years (1994-2008) PSSI tried to combine the popular Perserikatan teams with the professional clubs from the Galatama league, which was struggling to attract a healthy-sized audience as the clubs did not attract primordial sentiments, into a league called Liga Indonesia. Persija, with a weak fanbase, continued its poor streak in the early years of Liga Indonesia until former army general Sutiyoso was appointed as governor of Jakarta in 1997 amid nationwide demonstrations that demanded the end of military-backed authoritarianism and the start of democratic elections at all levels. Recognizing that he must win support to secure another term, Sutiyoso used Persija as an outreach vehicle. In 1997, Sutiyoso rebranded Persija with a different colour. Orange replaced red to stress Persija's tiger symbol while national players were recruited and more professional management was introduced. The governor also wielded his powers to motivate other Jakarta clubs in Liga Indonesia, including the once-successful Pelita Jaya FC, to leave the capital city. To augment the fanbase, the Jakmania supporter group was created in December 1997. The total makeover paid off with Persija winning the 2001 national title, a fanbase developing into the biggest in the country and Sutiyoso securing a second term in 2002. The flip side of this top-down approach is constant taunts from supporters of other clubs calling Persija as "anak papa" (papa's boy), which has become louder since Persija won its next national title in 2018. Professional years (2008-) The emergence of the Indonesian Super League in 2008 came amid pressure on Perserikatan teams to stop relying on the state budget and increase professional management. Persija, with the ability to attract supporters, sponsors and quality players, evolved into a well-oiled machine that performed well in different forms of competitions in Indonesia. However, it failed to win a national title in these professional years until 2018 when it championed the 2018 Liga 1. While Jakmania turned the capital city orange after the crowning, supporters of other clubs mocked the victory as engineered so that Persija could finally end its 17-year drought. These naysayers argue that PSSI influenced several decisions during the season that unfairly benefitted Persija, including the goals scored in the 9 December 2018 game that sealed the title. Controversy aside, Persija is undeniably one of Indonesia's leading clubs with a fanbase that is now considered as the biggest in Asia, according to a December 2020