Early years
Bali United's first major move was the appointment of Indra Sjafri as manager. Under the former Indonesia national under-19 head coach, the club focused on developing young talent, bringing several U-19 national team players into the top flight.[5]
The club made its debut in the 2015 Indonesia Super League, playing its first match on 4 April 2015, a 2–1 away loss to Perseru, with Lerby Eliandry scoring the team's first competitive goal.[6] However, the season was discontinued after only two matches due to a conflict between the Indonesian government and PSSI, which ultimately led to a FIFA suspension of Indonesian football.[7]
Bali United completed their first full season in the 2016 Indonesia Soccer Championship A, a temporary league organized to replace the suspended Indonesia Super League. The club finished 12th out of 18 teams, a respectable result for a newly relocated and rebranded club.[8]
In 2017, during the inaugural season of Liga 1, Bali United struggled in their first two matches under head coach Hans-Peter Schaller, who was subsequently sacked. Widodo Cahyono Putro, former Indonesian national team player, took over and led the team to compete for the title. Bali United became the most productive team in the league but finished as runner-up, losing out to Bhayangkara due to head-to-head tiebreaker regulations.[9][10]
Following their domestic success, Bali United qualified for the AFC competitions for the first time in 2018.[11] They made their AFC Champions League debut on 16 January 2018 with a 3–1 win over Tampines Rovers in the preliminary stage round 1, but were eliminated in the second preliminary round by Chiangrai United.[12][13] In the AFC Cup, the club finished fourth in the group stage.[14] Domestically, Bali United struggled in Liga 1, finishing the season in 11th place.[15]
On 29 November 2018, Widodo Cahyono Putro resigned as head coach. The club cited personal reasons related to his coaching career, including preparation for the AFC A Pro coaching license, while media reports also mentioned contract clauses and internal issues as contributing factors.[16]
Stefano Cugurra era (2019–2025)
Bali United reacted to the end of the previous era by appointing former Persija head coach Stefano Cugurra ahead of the 2019 Liga 1 season. In his first campaign, Bali United secured the Liga 1 title on 2 December 2019 after a draw between Borneo and PSM confirmed their position as champions.[17] The club's strong performance under Cugurra also qualified them for the AFC Champions League for the second time in their history. The team set a record for being the fastest to win the Liga 1 title since the competition adopted its current name, as well as achieving the largest points gap over the runner-up.[18]
After the 2019 season, the 2020 Liga 1 campaign was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, with competitive matches halted after only a few rounds.[19] When the league resumed with a centralized format for the 2021–22 season, Bali United regained momentum and went on to win their second Liga 1 title under Cugurra, finishing with the highest points total in the competition.[20]
Post-Cugurra era (2025–present)
After the conclusion of the 2024–25 Liga 1 season, long‑time head coach Stefano Cugurra left Bali United following six seasons in charge, during which he led the club to two Liga 1 titles in 2019 and the 2021–22 season.[27] His departure marked the end of one of the club’s most successful managerial periods.
On 26 May 2025, Bali United officially appointed Johnny Jansen, a Dutch coach previously involved in European football, as the club's new head coach ahead of the 2025–26 Super League season. The appointment represented a strategic shift toward a new footballing philosophy and broader team restructuring following the club's eighth‑place finish in the 2024–25 Liga 1 campaign.[28]
