Patrick Kluivert, the coach of Indonesia, is facing speculation of being dismissed immediately after his debut match.
Indonesia suffered a 1-5 defeat to Australia in the 7th match of Group C in the '2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers' held at Sydney Football Stadium in Australia on the 20th. With 1 win, 3 draws, and 3 losses, Indonesia is in 4th place in the group.
The Indonesia Football Association abruptly removed coach Shin Tae-yong last January and appointed coach Kluivert. The association noted that 'Shin Tae-yong had issues with leadership and tactics,' providing unclear reasons.
According to Indonesian media, the reason for Shin's dismissal is reported to be conflicts with naturalized players from the Netherlands.
'The Jakarta Post' reported on the 11th that 'the discord between the players and coach Shin Tae-yong began before the match in which Indonesia lost to China 1-2 last October. One of the naturalized players openly expressed dissatisfaction with coach Shin's tactics and team management style.'
Ultimately, the Indonesia Football Association appointed Kluivert, a legend from the Netherlands. Supporting this, Indonesia incorporated a large number of naturalized players from the Netherlands into the national team. In the match against Australia, naturalized players made up a staggering 10 of the starting 11.
However, the performance was disastrous. Indonesia conceded the first goal from a penalty kick just 18 minutes into the first half and allowed two more goals at the 20th and 34th minutes.
Having conceded three goals in the first half, Indonesia allowed two more to Miller in the 61st minute and Erwin in the 90th minute. Indonesia was only satisfied with one goal back from Romany in the 78th minute.
After the match, the anger of Indonesian fans erupted on social media. The hashtag '#KluivertOut' garnered explosive reactions. Fans expressed intense reactions, saying, 'Dismiss Kluivert immediately,' 'Bring back coach Shin Tae-yong,' 'The incompetent Indonesia Association's reign of failure is over,' and 'Is this the Indonesian national team? It’s not the Netherlands team, is it?'
Indonesia 'Bola' criticized, saying, 'This is a complete defeat with no room for excuses. The achievements that coach Shin Tae-yong built over five years crumbled in an instant. A meme of coach Shin asking with a smiling face, 'Wasn't I better?' is becoming a hot topic.'
Kluivert was a flashy striker during his playing days. However, he has never succeeded as a coach. It seems like Indonesia is repeating the growing pains that Korea experienced during Jurgen Klinsmann's tenure.
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