Hodak's underdogs Persib ready to bite in AFC showdown
The Croatian tactician, who knows South-East Asian football inside out after years of coaching in Malaysia, will see his Persib side matched against some of the region's most ambitious clubs, Selangor from Malaysia, Singapore's Lions City Sailors, and Thailand's Bangkok United.
'It is an interesting group,' said Hodak, reflecting on the draw.
'According to TransferMarkt values, Bangkok, Lions, and Selangor are favourites, but I think anybody can beat anybody in this group.'
Hodak, who has squared off against Selangor multiple times during his managerial career in Malaysia, is relishing the battles ahead. For him, the draw represents both familiarity and fresh challenge.
'Bangkok were second in the Thai League, which to me, shows they are a good team, and they have qualified for the Champions League before, so they will be favourites,' noted Hodak.
'Lions have also invested a lot, they kept their core players from last season and they played in the final of the AFC Champions League Two last season. So, a good team, top.
'Selangor, in the last six to seven years, have invested a lot of money to build their squad. They didn't win anything, but they have invested a lot. We will see how good they are.'
For Persib, the journey is not about being favourites but about upsetting the odds.
Hodak underlined the club's financial discipline and steady growth as key strengths, even if they cannot compete with rivals' spending power.
'Persib are the smallest among the four, so we are coming as underdogs but we can fight and surprise people,' he said.
'We won the league for two consecutive seasons. Lots of our players received huge offers from other clubs.
'Financially, Persib are always stable but they do not overspend.
'We may not be the richest in the country but somehow we are the most consistent.'
The clash with Selangor will be especially be intriguing given Hodak had coached several of their current players at different stages of their careers, from club football with KL City and JDT, to the Malaysia Under-19 national team.
Adding further spice, Persib's Argentine playmaker Luciano Guaycochea once captained Perak and has plenty of experience facing the Klang Valley sides, while the Red Giants will also meet their former captain Safuwan Baharuddin, now donning Lions City colours on loan.
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