Indonesian fans demand immediate dismissal of coach Kluivert

"There's no need to return to Indonesia, he should go straight to the Netherlands and be ready to celebrate Christmas there," Titaikhsan criticized through a post on Berita Sepakbola Dunia on X.

"Pushing Shin Tae-yong out and bringing in Kluivert is a completely wrong decision. Kluivert has too little time to make a difference for Indonesia, even though before coach Shin was fired, the team was still on the right track. The Asian Cup is approaching, it's best to find someone to replace Kluivert," another Indonesian fan expressed his opinion.

Bola Sport wrote: "Everything went up in smoke for the dream of going to the US, Canada and Mexico. The hashtag #KluivertOut immediately trended on social network X with overwhelming appearances.

In the moment Kluivert and his students collapsed when the final whistle sounded, 10,000 Indonesian fans at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium chanted the name Shin Tae-yong, as a mockery of Kluivert and the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI).

"Firing Shin and bringing in Kluivert was PSSI's mistake. Coach Shin may not be good enough, but Kluivert is even worse. They expect Kluivert to create miracles even though there is very little time to prepare for the team," Indonesian fans were upset.

PSSI President Erick Thohir said after the defeat: "We apologize for Indonesia's dream of reaching the World Cup. It was the first time in history that Indonesia had gone this far in the World Cup qualifiers. We thank the fans, players and coaching staff for their efforts towards this achievement."

Whether Kluivert will be fired or not is the topic that most interests Indonesian fans at the moment. Indonesian media asked Kluivert about this. The Dutch strategist replied: "I can't say anything at the moment. I really don't know what will happen next."

Coach Kluivert signed a contract with PSSI until the end of 2026, with a clause that could be extended for another 2 years. Even at the time of his appointment to the "hot seat", Kluivert was not supported by the majority of Indonesians.

President Erick Thohir wanted a coach who could communicate well with the many Indonesian players who were of Dutch descent and spoke Dutch. Kluivert was chosen because PSSI believed he had the necessary charisma to lead the team. However, Kluivert's true ability as a coach was doubted from the beginning.

The wave of criticism against Kluivert broke out when the Indonesian team failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the Asian region. When Indonesia lost to Saudi Arabia in the 4th qualifying round, leaving only hope of an intercontinental play-off, Kluivert continued to be criticized. The defeat to Iraq was the last straw for Indonesian fans' trust in the Dutch legend.