Coach Kluivert's 10 quick months in Indonesia

After more than 10 months, coach Patrick Kluivert officially left the Indonesian team in disgrace.

Coach Kluivert was fired after Indonesia's World Cup dream was shattered - Photo: REUTERS

Failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup was the last straw, forcing the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) to terminate the contract with coach Kluivert on October 16.

Appointed on January 8, 2025 with a historic mission, the Dutch strategist was expected to bring Indonesia to the world arena. However, his strategy of "Dutchifying" the team with the Indonesian football elite was not successful.

World Cup qualifying sadness

The main focus of the 49-year-old coach's tenure was the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. In a total of 8 official matches, he only helped the team win 3, draw 1 and suffer 4 defeats, achieving a winning rate of only 37.5%.

Kluivert’s journey started off on a rocky note with a heavy 5-1 defeat to Australia. However, two consecutive 1-0 victories over Bahrain and China helped Indonesia make history by reaching the 4th Asian Qualifiers for the first time.

However, the crushing 0-6 defeat to Japan soon after showed the huge gap in skill between Indonesia and the continental giants.

Two consecutive defeats against Saudi Arabia (2-3) and Iraq (0-1) have officially extinguished Indonesia's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. These are also Patrick Kluivert's last matches as head coach of the Indonesian team.

The unfinished "Dutchification" gamble

To realize his ambition, coach Patrick Kluivert brought with him a strong team of Dutch assistants, notably Alex Pastoor and former midfielder Denny Landzaat. At the same time, the policy of naturalizing players of Indonesian origin born in the Netherlands was also promoted with the help of the President of the Indonesian Football Federation.

Indonesia's "Dutchification" gamble with Kluivert has yet to yield success - Photo: REUTERS

During his tenure, two young players, Mauro Zijlstra and Miliano Jonathans, were granted naturalization, joining the already established Dutch-born squad. This strategy transformed the Indonesian squad into a miniature "orange whirlwind", with at one point eight out of eleven players on the pitch born in the Netherlands.

Under coach Kluivert, midfielder Thom Haye was the only player to appear in all eight matches. Ole Romeny was the team's top scorer with three goals.

However, relying too much on players and coaching staff from a single country has not brought about the expected results.

The "Dutchification" gamble of PSSI and coach Kluivert ultimately remained unfinished, closing a short but tumultuous chapter of football in the "island country".

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THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/10-thang-chong-vanh-cua-hlv-kluivert-tai-indonesia-20251016160650755.htm