Although the Indonesian Football Association initially intended to extend the collaboration despite missing out on the World Cup, both parties have concluded after several discussions that it is better not to continue with each other due to the enormous pressure from the media and supporters.
National coach Patrick Kluivert has a message for Indonesians after missing out on the World Cup
Expectations in Indonesia had risen so high due to the recent good results that the deception about the missed World Cup is enormous and little attention is paid to reality. That opponent Iraq is twice as high as Indonesia in the FIFA world ranking (58e versus 119e) and the fact that Indonesia was the better football team against Iraq for almost the entire match is no longer relevant. The shattered World Cup dream has engulfed everything in a wave of negativism.
Language as an asset
Kluivert has been national coach of Indonesia since the beginning of this year and was assisted by, among others, Alex Pastoor, Denny Landzaat and Gerald Vanenburg, who are now also leaving Team Garuda.
At that time, Indonesian national president Erick Thohir considered it wise to appoint an internationally renowned coach with experience in top European football for the next step, even though the previous national coach, the South Korean Shin Tae-yong, had achieved mainly good results. The choice fell on Kluivert as Dutch coach, which was seen as an extra plus because of the large number of neo-internationals of Dutch descent.
Justin Kluivert sympathizes with father Patrick after Indonesia’s World Cup dream shattered: ‘I left him alone’
Kluivert managed to involve even more Dutch professionals with Indian roots in the Indonesian team and qualified for the World Cup play-off tournament in Saudi Arabia. After a narrow 3-2 defeat in the first match against host country Saudi Arabia, Iraq was 1-0 too strong, with Indonesia not helped by some remarkable refereeing decision by the uncertain-looking Chinese referee Ma Ning.
Football dad
It remains to be seen when Kluivert will take up a coaching or other position in football again. The football father has almost a day’s work following his football-playing sons. Justin Kluivert is doing well at Bournemouth in the Premier League and was in the starting line-up for the Dutch national team against Finland last Sunday, Ruben Kluivert recently scored his first goal for his new club Olympique Lyon, while Benjamin Shane Kluivert made a calling card with a beautiful goal in the Youth League on behalf of FC Barcelona under 19 against the peers of Paris Saint-Germain. and was active with the Dutch national under-19 team during the past international match.