The Reason PSSI Chooses A Dutch Coach To Replace Shin Tae-yong, Erick Thohir Opens His Voice

Reason PSSI chose coaches from the Netherlands (Patrick Kluivert and Erick Thohir @erickthohir)

YOGYAKARTA - PSSI has officially appointed a new coach to replace Shin Tae-yong, who has been accompanying the Indonesian national team since 2019. The name Patrick Kluivert from the Netherlands is predicted to be a strong candidate to nurture Garuda employees. So what is the reason PSSI chose a coach from the Netherlands?

Shin Tae-yong's dedication had to stop after PSSI decided to stop working with the South Korean coach. Many Indonesian football lovers regretted the decision. Talks about the figure of STY's new coach were also widely discussed.

PSSI chairman Erick Thohir, at a press conference, revealed that his party chose a Dutch coach as STY's successor. Erick Thohir also revealed the reason PSSI chose a coach from the Netherlands.

In the midst of the emotion of many Indonesians releasing STY, PSSI immediately revealed the figure of STY's replacement for the Indonesian national team in the future. The name of the Dutch coach Patrick Kluiver also appeared in the media.

There are several reasons why PSSI chose a Dutch coach to head for the Indonesian national team, starting from various cultural factors, communication, and the target of chasing the 2025 World Cup.

Erick Thohir said that the cultural similarities with the diaspora players who strengthened the Indonesian national team were one of the reasons for looking for a coach from the Netherlands.

With so many diaspora players who have Dutch-Indonesian lineages, the presence of a coach from the Windmill Country is considered the right decision.

In addition to cultural similarities, the communication aspect is also one of the considerations in choosing the coach of the Indonesian national team from the Netherlands.

"Yes, there are many choices, it could be Italy, it could be Spain, but of course with a gap of 2.5 months we have to try to maintain the dynamics. The dynamics that have existed so far are about culture," said Erick Thohir, as quoted by Antara.

Erick stated that the coach of the Indonesian national team from the Netherlands will face a big responsibility, namely bringing Indonesia through to the 2026 World Cup.

"What's interesting is that apart from the target, coaches must build a football philosophy in seniors and U-23s. The coaches I interviewed already understand the target. Some who have names in football are also impossible to join just as jobs, of course they also have personal targets to make history with us to qualify for the World Cup," said Erick Thohir.

Currently, Indonesia is in third place in the Group C standings for the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with six points from six matches.

The Indonesian national team only has four matches left to determine their chances of appearing in a tournament that will be held for the first time in three countries.

One of the names that emerged as a candidate to replace Shin Tae-yong was Patrick Kluivert, a coach who had been Louis van Gaal's assistant in the Dutch national team.

Kluivert is also known as a Dutch football legend who has played for major clubs such as Ajax Amsterdam, AC Milan, and FC Barcelona.

When asked about the possibility of Kluivert being one of the three candidates for coach of the Indonesian national team, Erick did not deny it. However, he asked the public to be patient until the new coach arrived in Indonesia to get certainty.

"One of the candidates who has undergone the interview was mentioned earlier (Patrick Kluiver). Later the figure will arrive in Indonesia on January 11, there will be an interview on the 12th, later the media can ask directly," added Erick Thohir.

Those are some of the reasons PSSI chose a Dutch coach who was expressed directly by Erick Thohir. The reason for the selection of the Dutch coach is related to culture and communication is because there are many diaspora players in the national team, as well as the 2025 World Cup target. Also read Shin Tae-yong's line of achievements with the Indonesian national team.

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