Atep, PERSIB midfielder, shows contagious competitive spirit!

Our partnership with FC PERSIB encouraged us to create a series of interviews with the most prominent players, as we want you to draw inspiration from people we have common values with. This week, vice-captain Atep will win you over with his positive attitude towards the game. Atep can surely become your role model!

As perceived by midfielder PERSIB, Atep, to obtain a myriad of achievements, you have to pass hard tests. This professional football player started his way from Football School (SSB) and different teams, until joining PERSIB for five seasons.

Atep Ahmad Rizal, known as Atep A7 was born in Cianjur, West Java, 5 June 1985. Atep started his football career at the junior football club PS UNI. At that time he was a potential young player in attacking midfielder position. His shoot power and accuracy along with good individual skills, made his way into the Indonesian national team in various international championships.

In the season 2008/2009, Persib Bandung finally managed to sign Atep, after failing to get him in the previous season. Although his arrival was greeted so positively by the bobotoh, Persib supporters community, he did not get so many chances to play in early matches of the season. So, many predicted that he would leave in the transfer window during the break between matches. However, he was persistant and eventually started to get a chance to play as a substitution player. In his second season (2009/2010) with Persib Bandung, Atep managed to enter the Main Persib squad after replacing Siswanto.

After four seasons with Persib Bandung, Atep got an award from club management. In his fifth season, he earned a two-year contract from Persib. Atep became one of three Persib players who signed a two-year contract this season. Although his position is safe, at least for the next two seasons, Atep admitted that his adrenaline only boosted by a two-year contract.

Showing his dedication to football, Atep Ahmad Rizal made the breakthrough by establishing Football School (SSB) A7. SSB which was founded in 2009 is headquartered in his hometown, Cianjur. The idea of establishing SSB A7, originated from ATEP who wants to contribute something to his hometown.

“The difficulty of making football accessible, both in education and facilities, makes me want to establish a football school. I would like to find talents through this SSB, it may appear any moment, that there is a boy who shines. I also try to promote my students to several teams, one of them is PBR U-21".

Atep intends to stay at Persib Bandung. "If the management entrusted me to continue to strengthen this team, I intend to retire as a footballer at Persib Bandung. I was born in Cianjur and grown up in Bandung. Indirectly, I have a bond with Persib. So, if management does want me to continue playing here, I am not interested in moving to another club," Atep confirmed.

“I loved football since I was a kid. Incidentally, my house was close to the football field and my family also loved football, both my grandfather and my father. Although I was asked by my father not to pursue a career in football because he thought that football is not a promising career, I have no regrets. I have my own faith".

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