Persija Training Camp in Thailand: Shin Tae-yong Focuses on Improving Physical Condition and Tactics

Shin Tae-yong has made physical fitness one of the core foundations for developing Persija Jakarta ahead of the launch of the 2026/2027 competitive season. The South Korean head coach judges that physical strength does not only determine a player's ability to run and contest duels, but also directly impacts concentration and sustained focus over the full course of a match.

For this reason, Shin is utilising Persija's overseas training camp in Thailand to build up the squad's base fitness levels. Nicknamed Macan Kemayoran, the team departed for Thailand last Monday, and is scheduled to return to Jakarta on Sunday 23 August.

According to Shin, modern professional football demands that players build a robust physical foundation in order to maintain consistent quality of play for the entire duration of matches.

"The single most fundamental element of football is physical condition. When a player has strong physical fitness, their concentration and focus also improve significantly. That is why physical conditioning is one of the highest priorities," Shin stated in official video content shared by Persija with media outlets.

Shin will not implement physical training programmes arbitrarily. Before commencing camp, Persija first conducted full individual fitness and medical assessments for every player.

The results of these assessments form the baseline for the coaching staff to design custom training programmes aligned with each individual player's specific needs. Using this targeted approach, Shin aims to deliver measurable, controlled improvements across the squad.

"With this system, we can work to maximise the physical condition of every single player on the roster," Shin added.

Even while positioning physical fitness as a central camp priority, the former Indonesia men's national team head coach confirmed he will not impose excessive training loads on his players.

Shin has opted for a gradual, progressive training structure to allow players to build fitness safely, without exposing them to avoidable injury risk.

"Our goal is for every player to complete this entire training camp successfully, with no injuries," he noted.

Alongside physical conditioning, Persija are also using the Thailand camp to rebuild the team's core tactical foundations. Shin acknowledged that Macan Kemayoran's earlier pre-season schedule was disrupted, after the senior squad was suddenly reassigned to compete in the 2026 President's Cup tournament.

Persija had originally planned to field their Elite Pro Academy (EPA) Under-20 squad for this pre-season tournament, with the senior team originally scheduled to travel to Thailand at an earlier date.

"This is exactly why this training camp is focused entirely on building base physical fitness and the team's fundamental tactical framework. Due to the last minute President's Cup commitment, we simply did not have adequate time to work on tactical structure previously. This camp will prioritise core player fitness and base team tactics," Shin explained.

Persija are operating a high-intensity programme with two scheduled training sessions per day. Shin has split the camp focus: physical strengthening and conditioning work is completed during morning sessions, while team shape and playing structure drills are run in the afternoon.

"We are now settled here in Thailand, and we will run two full training sessions daily. Mornings will be dedicated to strength and conditioning work, while afternoon sessions will focus exclusively on team tactical drills," he concluded.