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Indonesia's dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup was shattered. Photo: Reuters . |
Appearing on the show on October 20, Pastoor – assistant to coach Patrick Kluivert – said he was not surprised when the entire Dutch coaching team had their contracts terminated by the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) after only a few months of working.
"We tried to communicate to the players what was expected. But clearly, it was not enough to beat the higher-level teams. It was unrealistic for a team ranked 119 to qualify for the World Cup," Pastoor said.
In early 2025, Pastoor and Denny Landzaat were appointed to the coaching staff to support head coach Kluivert. However, two consecutive defeats against Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the fourth qualifying round shattered Indonesia's 2026 World Cup dream.
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Pastoor reveals PSSI's ambitions. |
“I’ve been in the business long enough that I’m not surprised that I’m leaving,” Pastoor added. “But I think this is a long-term project, not just about the World Cup. When the atmosphere becomes negative, you have to ask yourself whether it’s still the right environment to continue working in.”
Pastoor also revealed that PSSI's initial plan included three main goals: aiming for the World Cup, developing the U23 and U20 teams under the leadership of Gerald Vanenburg and Frank van Kempen, and attracting more talented players in the country of more than 280 million people.
“Jordi Cruyff was appointed as an advisor, Alexander Zwiers as Technical Director. But now they all have to leave,” he added.
Despite his regretful departure, Pastoor still has a lot of affection for Indonesian football: “People there have a strong passion for football. From the beginning, they had high expectations of us, but we never promised anything other than to try our best.”
Source: https://znews.vn/tro-ly-kluivert-indonesia-du-world-cup-la-thieu-thuc-te-post1595637.html
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