FILE –Patrick Kluivert of the Netherlands is the new coach of the Indonesia national football team. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
Patrick Kluivert is unlikely to experience much culture shock when he starts his time as head coach of Indonesia national football team.
The majority of players on the men’s national team were born or raised in the Netherlands, where Kluivert made his name as a successful striker.
The rapid naturalization of players from overseas who are eligible to represent Indonesia through a parent or grandparent, is the key to why the former Barcelona and Ajax star was appointed Indonesia’s football federation, the PSSI.
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Indonesia and Netherlands have ties dating back centuries. Indonesia declared its independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1945.
The 48-year-old Kluivert was confirmed as the new head coach Wednesday to replace Shin Tae-yong, the South Korean coach who was contentiously dismissed two days earlier.
Since Shin started in Jakarta in 2020, Indonesia has achieved unprecedented results and is in the running to reach the 2026 World Cup for the first time since 1938 — when it appeared as Dutch East Indies.
With four games remaining in the third round of Asian qualification, Indonesia is third in its six-team group, just one point behind second-place Australia. The top two in each group qualify automatically for the 2026 tournament, while third- and fourth-place teams advance to the next stage in Asia.
Such progress, which also included a first ever place in the knockout stages of the Asian Cup last January, made Shin a popular figure in Indonesia.
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Joko Widodo was president of Indonesia throughout most of the Korean’ coach’s tenure.
“I know coach Shin closely, and in my opinion, he has a charming personality and a great way of interacting with people,” Widodo, who left office in October, said Tuesday. “If you ask me whether I like Shin, of course I do. But like it or not, the decision has been made by PSSI.”
Indonesian fans cheer during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualification football match between Indonesia and Philippines at Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta on June 11, 2024. (Photo by Bay ISMOYO / AFP)
Shin’s son, Shin Jae-won, a professional player in South Korea, blasted the Indonesian federation’s decision. “Over the past five years, Indonesia have climbed 50 places in the FIFA rankings and are third in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, yet the coach is fired?” Shin wrote on social media.
Results may have improved but the character and identity of the team changed. In November, a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualification was widely celebrated across Indonesia, despite eight of the starting 11 being naturalized players. There are plans to naturalize more Dutch-born players in the coming months.
PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir believes Kluivert will be a more natural coach for such a team and be able to get his message across much more easily than his Korean-speaking predecessor.
“We see the need for a leader who is better able to implement the strategies agreed upon by the players, and who has better communication,” Thohir said.
UEFA Champions League final ambassador Dutch former footballer Patrick Kluivert shows the paper slip of SSC Napoli (ITA) during the draw for the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League football tournament, in Nyon, on March 17, 2023. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)
Ultimately, the success of the decision will be judged by results on the field. Kluivert kicks off with a crucial qualifier against Australia in Sydney on March 20 and then Indonesia hosts Bahrain in Jakarta five days later. The third round ends in June with games against China and the group’s runaway leader, Japan.
“We are in a different class compared with Japan but winning against Saudi Arabia was a very good result,” former national team striker Greg Nwokolo said. “I hope this is the best decision. If the new coach succeeds, PSSI will be praised but if he fails, it means our dreams are shattered.”
Kluivert had a stellar playing career, winning the Champions League with Ajax, and has prior international coaching experience in charge of Curacao.
The former AC Milan and Newcastle striker was also assistant coach to Louis van Gaal with the Netherlands and Clarence Seedorf with Cameroon. Kluivert is set to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s official unveiling.
PSSI said in a statement he’d been contracted for 2025-27, with an option to extend.