Indonesia U23 coach responds to comparison with Shin Tae-yong

TPO - After the failure in the 2025 U23 Asian qualifiers, coach Gerald Vanenburg spoke out when compared with his predecessor Shin Tae-yong, the strategist who helped U23 Indonesia create a miracle last year.

Coach Vanenburg took over the Indonesian U23 team after the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) decided to end its collaboration with coach Shin Tae-yong. He was expected to continue the success, but the results have not met expectations.

Under Vanenburg's leadership, the Indonesian U23 team finished as runners-up in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, but failed in their qualifying campaign for the 2025 Asian U23 Championship.

In Group J, played at home, the Indonesian U23 team started with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Laos, then won convincingly against Macau 6-0, but succumbed to a 0-1 defeat against direct competitor South Korea U23. This loss left Indonesia U23 in second place in the group and officially eliminated them from the Finals.

After the match, coach Vanenburg couldn't hide his disappointment and frankly pointed out the reason: "The biggest problem is the players' playing time at their clubs. Many players don't get much playing time, so when they join the national team, they struggle to be in their best form."

When asked about the difference between him and coach Shin Tae-yong, who led the Indonesian U23 team to the semi-finals of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship, Coach Vanenburg replied: “There is indeed a difference. Back then, Shin had good players like Marselino Ferdinand, Rizky Ridho, Ivar Jenner, Rafael Struick, Justin Hubner...”

"Besides that, they had a long preparation period of 2-3 months. While we only focused on it for about 5 days. It's very difficult to compare," said Vanenburg.

Looking back at their 2024 journey, Shin Tae-yong's Indonesian U23 team defeated Turkmenistan and Chinese Taipei to qualify for the finals. At the tournament in Qatar, they made a name for themselves by finishing second in Group A behind the host nation, then causing a sensation by defeating South Korea in the quarterfinals. Although they subsequently lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan in the semi-finals and were defeated 1-2 by Iraq in the third-place match, that performance is still considered a historic milestone.

That comparison only increased the pressure on coach Vanenburg. But the Dutch strategist insisted he needed more time and support from the Indonesian football system, especially regarding league development and providing regular playing opportunities for young players.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/hlv-u23-indonesia-dap-tra-khi-bi-so-sanh-voi-shin-tae-yong-post1777053.tpo