Indonesian stars who became naturalized citizens are now scattered.

Following the defeat against Iraq, which officially ended Indonesia's chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, coach Patrick Kluivert shared some noteworthy comments about the situation in the Indonesian national team's locker room.

Indonesian naturalized stars struggle to secure their future - Photo: REUTERS

Why are Indonesian fans being unreasonable?

"Stifling, lifeless" is how coach Kluivert described the situation in the Indonesian national team's locker room after their loss to Iraq. The Dutch strategist may have simply meant to express disappointment, but the media and fans interpreted it more broadly.

The newspaper Bola raised the issue of coach Kluivert's future, and the former Dutch national team star stated that he "doesn't know".

This could be coach Kluivert's last interview, as Indonesian fans express their anger towards the Dutch strategist.

On social media, hashtags like "KluivertOut," or even "ErikOut" (referring to chairman Erick Thohir), appeared frequently. Meanwhile, in the stadium, spectators chanted Shin Tae Yong's name demanding Kluivert's dismissal.

Football fans can be very unreasonable at times, and this is no exception. Coach Kluivert had made a significant impact leading the Indonesian national team through the third qualifying round, only to find himself in an extremely difficult situation in the fourth round.

Coach Kluivert (right) and President Thohir - Photo: Bola.com

At this stage, Indonesia had to play both matches away in Saudi Arabia, making them the most disadvantaged team in terms of venue (compared to even Iraq - another country in the Middle East).

They also face the biggest disadvantages in terms of the match schedule, adaptation, and player fitness... And ultimately, Indonesia is generally still weaker than Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

The two narrow defeats against Saudi Arabia and Iraq weren't a terrible result. But Indonesian fans weren't sympathetic, because of a promise made about a year and a half ago, when the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) implemented a policy of mass naturalization.

Zainudin Amali, then vice president of PSSI, had to clarify the situation amidst fan outrage. Many Indonesians remain unhappy with PSSI's mass naturalization of players, leaving virtually no place for local players in the national team.

"We only naturalized players for short-term goals. The future of Indonesian football still depends on training young players, and hopefully we won't have to naturalize any more," said Amali.

The short-term goal mentioned by PSSI was, of course, a ticket to the World Cup. Indonesia did everything for this goal, and then failed. Therefore, the irrationality of the fans falls within an "understandable" framework.

There is no future for naturalized stars.

Everything has two sides, and the policy of mass naturalization clearly has numerous problems for the Indonesian national team, in addition to the temporary effect of success.

First, there's the issue of team cohesion. After the defeat against Saudi Arabia, coach Kluivert was forced to drop his "favorite" Mark Klok from the starting lineup.

The 32-year-old midfielder is considered one of the reasons for coach Shin Tae Yong's dismissal in the past. In an interview in September, Klok did not hesitate to call Shin a "dictator".

Indonesian players will find it difficult to maintain stability in the locker room - Photo: PA

It was due to conflicts with some Dutch stars like Klok that coach Shin had to leave. And now, with Indonesia's defeat, fans can't help but look back at players who caused internal strife, like Klok.

National pride, team spirit, and camaraderie forged in training academies and clubs are key factors in uniting star players. But in Indonesia right now, it's difficult to talk about those elements.

17 out of their current 23 players (possibly more than 20 if all are present) are naturalized players, and none of them are teammates at European clubs.

Moreover, the current Indonesian national team has a clear disparity in skill levels. Audero, Diks, Idzes, and Verdonk have reached world-class level, playing for renowned clubs in the top divisions of European football.

But the majority of the remaining players only play in top leagues in Europe, or even end up in Indonesia. Last summer, a number of naturalized players like Jordi Amat and Thom Haye had to go to Indonesia to play football because they were unemployed in Europe.

Many Indonesian stars like Idzes (left) are at a level far beyond their teammates on the national team - Photo: GS

They are not on the same level, and perhaps even lack the same vision. There will come a time when wearing the Indonesian national team jersey becomes a burden for stars like Diks or Idzes.

Each year, they have to call up to the national team 4-5 times, mostly interspersed throughout the season, with the round-trip travel distance potentially reaching 30,000km.

Even South American superstars struggle with such travel. Almost every time they join their national team, they miss a match, and sometimes suffer injuries.

Too many underlying issues could divide the Indonesian naturalized stars right now. What united them in the past was a ticket to the World Cup, but now that goal is gone.

"Kluivert Out," and "Erik Out," these harsh slogans from Indonesian fans could chill hearts. And don't be surprised if, within the next year, this group of European players disbands.

Back to the topic

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dan-sao-nhap-tich-indonesia-tan-dan-xe-nghe-20251012175205425.htm