Persib Bandung Confirm the Signings of Thom Haye and Federico Barba
Persib Bandung have officially announced the arrival of two new signings to strengthen the Maung Bandung squad ahead of the 2025/26 BRI Liga 1 season and the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two). The club unveiled Thom Haye and Federico Barba on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
Haye, a midfielder of Indonesian heritage with years of experience in European football, is expected to bring both creativity and stability to Persib’s midfield. Meanwhile, Italian defender Federico Barba, who boasts an extensive career in Serie A, is set to provide solidity and leadership at the heart of the defense.
The unveiling ceremony was broadcast live on TVRI West Java, where Persib’s management expressed their confidence that both players will quickly adapt and make a significant impact as the club pursues success at both the domestic and continental levels.
Thom Jan Marinus Haye, a 30-year-old midfielder, brings with him a wealth of experience from European football before signing for Persib Bandung.
Haye rose through the youth ranks at AZ Alkmaar and eventually broke into the first team. In the 2016/17 season, he moved to Willem II in search of regular minutes. Two years later, he ventured abroad to Italy, joining Lecce in 2018/19, before returning to the Netherlands with ADO Den Haag (2019/20).
During the same season, he enjoyed a loan spell at NAC Breda before signing for SC Heerenveen in 2021/22. His journey continued with Almere City in the 2024/25 campaign, where he became a key figure before parting ways to join Persib Bandung.
On the international stage, Haye made his Indonesia national team debut in March 2024 during the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against Vietnam (0–3). Since then, he has collected 13 caps and scored two goals for the Garuda.
Federico Barba’s Career Journey
Federico Barba, born in Rome on September 1, 1993, is a seasoned Italian defender with extensive experience across Europe’s top leagues.
He began his career with AS Roma U20 (2010/11) before earning his senior breakthrough at Grosseto in the 2013/14 season. Barba later returned to AS Roma and went on to make his mark in Serie A with Empoli, where he established himself as a reliable defender.
In 2015/16, he ventured to Germany with VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, before heading back to Italy to rejoin Empoli. A season later, he experienced Spanish football with Sporting Gijón (2017/18). His career then took him to Chievo Verona (2018/19) and Real Valladolid in Spain (2019/20, on loan).
Barba continued his journey in Italy with Benevento, followed by a spell at Pisa (2022/23). In 2023/24, he joined Serie A newcomers Como, before making the switch to Switzerland with FC Sion for the 2024/25 season.
Over the course of his career, Barba has featured in more than 100 Serie A matches, facing some of Europe’s elite clubs along the way.
New Era for Persib Bandung
With their wealth of European experience, Thom Haye and Federico Barba are set to become key figures in Persib Bandung’s quest for glory in the 2025/26 BRI Super League and the AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two). Their arrival is expected to add both stability and international pedigree to the Maung Bandung squad.
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