Shin Tae-yong, 55, the former coach, garnered attention as he urged support for the Indonesian national football team, which suffered a heavy defeat.
On the 20th (Korean time), the Indonesian national football team suffered a 1-5 defeat against Australia in the seventh match of Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers at Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
As a result, Indonesia recorded three losses (one win and three draws), maintaining six points, and dropped to fourth place in the group behind Japan (19 points), Australia (10), and Saudi Arabia (9). Indonesia could not carry the momentum from their 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia last year.
Consequently, Indonesian media mentioned the defeat of their national team and even referenced the name of former coach Shin. The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) criticized the sudden dismissal of Shin last January and his replacement with 'Dutch legend' Patrick Kluivert, 49.
Kluivert, making his debut as Indonesia's coach, heavily utilized naturalized players from the Netherlands in pursuit of victory. In fact, from the early stages of the match, they pressured Australia, building momentum. However, the end result was a heavy defeat.
Indonesian fans also sought out former coach Shin. On the 21st, Indonesia's 'Tribun Jakarta' reported, citing a social media account, "Indonesian fans seem unable to forget former coach Shin Tae-yong, chanting his name at Sydney Football Stadium."
Coincidentally, former coach Shin was watching the match between Indonesia and Australia. He expressed regret while observing the game of the players he had worked closely with for five years since 2020.
According to Indonesia's 'Channel Sulawesi', in an interview with Indonesian media, former coach Shin stated, "Indonesia will always be in my heart," adding, "Even though this result did not meet expectations, I hope fans continue to support the Indonesian national team unwaveringly."
He continued, "Although the results are not satisfying, the Indonesian national team will continue to grow," adding, "Please support the players until the end so they can persevere and work even harder. Your support is a great strength for them."
Moreover, he evaluated the match by saying, "The only thing I felt is that there was not enough time to train. Moreover, due to insufficient training time, we did not manage the match well, which was the reason for conceding goals during set pieces."
Additionally, he mentioned the conflict with PSSI, saying, "We will talk about it next time," and added, "It has not been fully resolved yet."
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