Jordi Amat
Who was Jordi Amat?
Indonesian national team defender who has played for clubs in Spain's La Liga and represented Indonesia in international competitions.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Jordi Amat (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Jordi Amat Maas was born on March 21, 1992, in Canet de Mar, Spain. He's a professional footballer playing as a center-back for Persija Jakarta in Indonesia and the Indonesia national team. Even though he was born in Spain, Amat decided to play for Indonesia at the senior international level. He debuted in 2022 and played in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Amat started his club career in Spain, spending a significant amount of time with Espanyol before moving to Wales to play for Swansea City. His La Liga experience grew with stints at Rayo Vallecano, where he played twice, and Real Betis. These roles in Spain's top division made him a dependable defender, known for his aerial skills and strategic understanding of the game.
Looking for new opportunities, Amat stepped outside Spanish football to join Belgian Pro League club Eupen, showing his ability to adapt to various football cultures and styles. In June 2022, he made a big move to Southeast Asia, first joining Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta'zim before finally landing with Persija Jakarta in Indonesia's Super League.
Amat's international career shows how common dual nationality is in modern football. Having played for Spain at youth levels, he chose to represent Indonesia for his senior career, using his family heritage for eligibility. This move matched Indonesia's strategy to enhance their national team by bringing in players of Indonesian descent who honed their skills in European football systems.
Before Fame
Jordi Amat grew up in Canet de Mar, a coastal town in Catalonia, during a time when Spanish football was achieving major success on the global stage. The late 1990s and early 2000s were periods when Spain was building youth academy systems and playing styles that would eventually lead to international dominance. Amat matured as a footballer during Spain's golden era, when the national team won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.
His growth as a centre-back happened under Spanish football's focus on technical skill and positional play, which became key parts of his defensive style. Moving up from local Catalan football to Spain's professional leagues gave Amat the experience that later made him appealing to international teams looking for experienced defenders trained in Europe.
Key Achievements
- Represented Indonesia at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup
- Played over 100 matches in Spain's La Liga across multiple clubs
- Successfully transitioned between four different European leagues (Spanish, English, Belgian)
- Became a regular starter for the Indonesia national team
- Maintained a professional career spanning over a decade across multiple continents
Did You Know?
- 01.Born in the same year as the Barcelona Olympics, which significantly raised Spain's international sporting profile
- 02.Played for two different clubs named after geographical regions: Espanyol (Spanish) and Rayo Vallecano (Lightning Valley)
- 03.Made his Indonesia debut at age 30, relatively late for a first international cap
- 04.Experienced relegation and promotion battles during his time with Swansea City in English football
- 05.Part of the growing trend of European-born players representing Southeast Asian national teams