Semen Padang Launches Major Overhaul to Escape Relegation Battle

Semen Padang endured a difficult first half of the 2025-26 BRI Super League season, struggling to find consistency and results. A series of poor performances left the team rooted near the bottom of the table, creating serious concern about their survival prospects. By the midway point of the season, the club found itself once again facing the pressure of a relegation fight.

After 17 matches, Semen Padang had collected just 10 points from three wins, one draw, and thirteen defeats. That tally placed them 17th out of 18 teams, firmly inside the relegation zone. The situation closely mirrored the previous season, when the club also gathered 10 points in the first half before narrowly avoiding relegation at the very end of the campaign.

Learning from that experience, the club’s management decided not to wait until the situation became critical again. Instead, they moved quickly to initiate a comprehensive evaluation ahead of the second round of the league. The objective was clear: implement corrective measures early to give the team a realistic chance of improving results and stabilizing performances.

The most significant changes have been made in the foreign player department. Management opted for a major reshuffle, retaining only a small portion of the existing overseas contingent while bringing in a wave of new signings. The plan includes strengthening key attacking areas, with additional foreign players targeted to boost creativity and goal-scoring output. In total, the squad is set to feature ten foreign players, most of them new faces expected to make an immediate impact.

Beyond foreign recruits, Semen Padang are also actively searching for quality local players to address weaknesses across the squad. The club hopes that this aggressive rebuild will result in a more competitive and balanced team when the second half of the season begins. With little margin for error remaining, the upcoming matches will be decisive in determining whether the overhaul can steer Semen Padang away from relegation danger and toward a safer finish.