Photo by persib.co.id
Can someone buy Michael Essien some Lelap? The former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder was supposed to be the star of Persib Bandung this season, but, so far, Essien in the last four matches, he hasn't completed a full match.Both Essien, and ex-England International striker Carlton Cole, skipped Persib's first win of the season last week. During the team's second win, against Gresik United last night, Essien walked onto the pitch 67 minutes into the match. Cole has only played 17 minutes in four games.The reason? Persib head coach Djadjang Nurdjaman says the two are struggling to adapt to life in Indonesia. "They can't fully adapt to the weather and are struggling to sleep," Djadjang said at a press conference. "That has an effect on the field and in training."Persib secured Essien for a whopping Rp 8.5 billion ($637,994 USD) and Cole for Rp 5 billion ($375,291 USD) in the two largest contracts ever signed by an Indonesian football club. With those prices, Essien is averaging about Rp 78 million a minute, while Cole, who has barely seen the pitch, is costing the team Rp 294 million per minute.The team's head coach says it normal for foreign players to struggle when they first arrive in Indonesia. "Until now they seem like they're exerting themselves, even making an effort to arrive on-time during morning training sessions, though its clear he's having some trouble with that," Djadjang said of Essien.It's just the latest in what's been a rough start for Persib's big-ticket players. Neither had the appropriate visas by the start of the season. Both were sidelined as immigration officials warned against fielding either player without securing the right visas first.