Bakrie, Roar to open academy

The Bakrie Group, run by one of the country's richest and most powerful families, on Monday became the first Asian owner of an A-League club.

The Bakrie Group on Wednesday said the deal not only buoyed Roar but also aimed at improving the game in Indonesia by giving local footballers a kick-start to international careers.

"What we're doing is setting up an academy in Indonesia, and Brisbane Roar is going to be very much part of it," Bakrie Group spokesman Chris Fong told AFP.

"Bakrie Football is setting up the academy using expertise, training systems and processes from Brisbane Roar."

He said construction will start in the next couple of months and the school would be open later this year.

Brisbane joins a list of Bakrie-owned clubs, including local club Pelita Jaya, Belgium second division side CS Vise and a youth development project in Uruguay, S.A.D. Indonesia.

Despite huge local support for the game, Indonesia's football team, ranked 143rd in the world, has had little international success and has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

While the Bakrie Group's acquisition of Roar was welcomed by the Football Federation Australia, the country's media has raised concerns that the team has fallen into the hands of a controversial family.

ABC radio reported on Monday that 'controversy isn't new to the company', citing accusations that drilling by the group's gas exploration company Lapindo Brantas caused a mud volcano that has continuously erupted for almost six years.