Arema Football Club was founded on 11 August 1987 in Malang, East Java, emerging from the vibrant youth subculture of the city during the 1980s. The club's name derives from Arek Malang, meaning "Youths of Malang," and was the brainchild of Indonesian Army Brigadier General Acub Zaenal and Dirk Sutrisno, who sought to establish a professionally run club independent of government funding — a contrast to the existing Persema Malang.
Arema competed in the Galatama, Indonesia's first professional league, and claimed their first major title by winning the 1992 Galatama competition. The club's lion symbol, known as Singo Edan ("The Mad Lions" in Javanese), was chosen because the club was founded under the astrological sign of Leo, and also nods to the ancient Singhasari kingdom whose legacy runs deep in the Malang region.
During the Liga Indonesia era spanning 1994 to 2007, Arema advanced to the top eight on six occasions and won the national cup in consecutive years, 2005 and 2006. A landmark moment came in the 2009–10 Indonesia Super League season, when Arema, coached by Robert Alberts, claimed the ISL title. The club subsequently endured a turbulent period of administrative dualism between 2011 and 2014, during which two competing entities operated under the Arema name before eventually merging as Arema FC in time for the resumption of top-flight football.
Arema's identity is inseparable from their fierce Super East Java Derby rivalry with Persebaya Surabaya, which carries deep cultural significance between the youth cultures of Malang and Surabaya. Their passionate supporter base, Aremania, has long been regarded as one of the most devoted in Indonesian football.