Indonesia, which dismissed coach Shin Tae-yong, collapsed after allowing 5 goals. Indonesian fans are now expressing their anger towards Eric Thohir, president of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI).

On the 20th (Korean time), Indonesia suffered a 1-5 defeat to Australia in the 7th match of Group C in the third round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

As a result, Indonesia dropped to 5th place in the group, diminishing their chances of advancing to the World Cup. If Bahrain or China had secured just 1 point, Indonesia could have finished at the bottom. Currently, Indonesia, Bahrain, and China are tied with 6 points, forming the lowest ranks.

This match was the first official game under the direction of coach Klaiber. Indonesia received a lot of expectations as they incorporated many Dutch naturalized players. In fact, 10 out of the 11 starting players in this game were naturalized players.

However, Indonesia showcased their worst performance. They conceded an opening goal from a penalty just 18 minutes into the first half and allowed an additional goal 2 minutes later. It did not stop there. Indonesia, in confusion, allowed a third goal at the 35th minute of the first half.

Indonesia was hit with 3 goals in the first half. The second half was not significantly different. Coach Klaiber hurriedly inserted additional naturalized players, but they conceded 2 more goals. The only consolation was that at the end of the second half, Ole Romeny's goal avoided a goalless defeat.

As a result, Indonesian fans exploded with anger. Fans chanted for coach Shin Tae-yong in the stands while protesting against the PSSI. Indonesia's "Sindonews" reported, "As Indonesia faced humiliation from Australia, Shin Tae-yong's name resonated." They noted that "his name was mentioned more than 11,000 times on social media," and hashtags like 'Klaiber OUT' are continuously being posted.

"CNN Indonesia" also pointed out, "There was hope that with coach Klaiber’s new appointment, the comprehensive philosophy he had built during his time with the Netherlands national team would be passed down. However, it was completely absent in the match against Australia." According to the media, one fan criticized, "This is not total football but total failure."

After the match, Thohir worked hard to calm public sentiment. He posted on social media, "I will continue to support the Indonesian national team, whether they win or lose. I love this country entirely," and added, "I will keep working to help the team qualify for the World Cup. Players, don’t hang your heads. There are still opportunities."

Nevertheless, fans' reactions have been cold. Indonesia's "Java Post" reported, "Thohir treats coach Klaiber and Shin Tae-yong differently when the national team loses. There has been a lot of response from fans since Indonesia faced a 1-5 defeat. Particularly, Thohir's full support for coach Klaiber and the players' led to even more outrage."

The media also stated, "Thohir's attitude is inevitably compared. Many pointed out how he treated coach Shin Tae-yong. They believe that when Indonesia lost to China and Japan, the response was not as warm. Everyone feels that coach Shin Tae-yong faced more pressure."

According to the media, one fan sarcastically remarked, "Why didn't you react this way when we lost to China and Japan?" Another fan said, "Under coach Shin Tae-yong, the support and positive energy of the fans united. It was you, Thohir, who broke that unity. Changing the coach after beating Saudi Arabia was disastrous." A different fan expressed anger, saying, "Haha. If Shin Tae-yong had lost, he would have been yelling in the locker room. This guy deserves all the backlash!"

In fact, the dismissal of coach Shin Tae-yong has sparked considerable controversy in Indonesia. The PSSI shockingly dismissed him last January. At that time, Indonesia was in 3rd place in Group C with 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses in the third round of qualifying. Unlike coach Klaiber, they had previously drawn 0-0 at home against Australia.

However, as Indonesia was eliminated from the Mitsubishi Cup with a young team, the rift widened. Ultimately, president Thohir abruptly fired coach Shin Tae-yong, who had dedicated five years, and immediately appointed coach Klaiber. He claimed, "We need a leader who can execute the strategies agreed upon by the players, improve communication, and implement a better program for the entire national team."

The issue is that coach Klaiber does not even have a proper leadership career. He assisted coach Louis van Gaal as the head coach of the Netherlands national team during the 2014 Brazil World Cup, but his direct management experience is limited to the Curaçao national team and Turkey's Adana Demirspor. Even then, he joined Demirspor in the summer of 2023 but left the team after just 5 months.

This raised significant concerns among fans. Nevertheless, Indonesia pushed forward with the appointment of Klaiber. Some claims emerged that president Thohir made this choice because he wanted the additional involvement of naturalized players from the Netherlands. In reality, Indonesia has naturalized several players, including Emil Audero, a product of Juventus youth, along with Joy Perpesi and Dean James.

However, it proved to be useless. Coach Klaiber’s debut ended in a dismal defeat due to a disorganized defense. The choice to build a team mainly with naturalized players, excluding domestic players, backfired. Following his dismissal, the wish of coach Shin Tae-yong to cheer for his players’ World Cup qualification is also at risk.

Nevertheless, coach Shin Tae-yong defended coach Klaiber by suggesting that he may have had little time to prepare for the match. In an interview with "Kompas," he stated, "The players worked hard. The pressing up front was very good, but there wasn’t much time to train. It seems there were many one-on-one battles. That might be the cause of this defeat."

Additionally, coach Shin Tae-yong added, "It's unfortunate that we didn't need to concede goals from set pieces. Perhaps the coach might not have had enough time to practice set pieces."

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (reprint and redistribution prohibited), Indonesian Football Association, Eric Thohir, Troll Football social media.

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