Hunting For National Team Coach Continues, PSSI Gerilya Tours Europe For Determination Process

Photo: Ulfa Gusti/Voi.id

JAKARTA - PSSI is still in the process of getting the right figure for the Indonesian national team coach after sacking Patrick Kluivert in October 2025. His efforts were not easy, the federation even planned to work around Europe in order to get the right figure.

This news was revealed by the Deputy General Chairperson (Waketum) of PSSI, Zainudin Amali. He said PSSI would visit a number of countries in Europe to carry out the deepening stage including interviews with prospective coaches.

The chairman of the National Team Agency (BTN) as well as a member of the Exco PSSI, Sumardji, has been sent to represent PSSI to carry out this task. There are at least five names of prospective coaches who will be interviewed by PSSI while in Europe later.

"Yes, Mr. Mardji is still here, what is clear is where he is assigned to Europe. Where is Europe? Yes, there are many countries there, only the country is still a secret, but it's a football country," said Zainudin Amali when attending the last training session of the U-23 Indonesian national team at the Madya Stadium, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday, November 26.

Amali admitted that one of the countries that PSSI will visit, including Technical Director (Dirtek) Alexander Zwiers, is the Netherlands. But he still has a meeting of figures who will be interviewed by PSSI there.

Regarding the technical interview of the five candidate coaches, Amali has not been able to confirm in detail whether everything is done in one country or separately. According to him, all technicalities will be carried out by the Head of BTN and will be carried out according to the procedure.

"Untuk teknisnya saya tidak tahu seperti apa, itu nanti Pak Mardiji dan tim yang akan menjalankannya seperti. Tetapi yang jelas akan dilaksanakan di salah satu negara itu (Netherlands)," bebernya.

In the guerrilla agenda of hunting for coaches in Europe, Amali mentioned several countries that were on the radar. Apart from the Netherlands, there are England to Spain.

Initially, of the five candidates who were screened, it was recorded that three to four coaches were recently rumored to be candidates for the Garuda concoction.

In addition to East Kapadze, former coach of the Uzbekistan national team, there is also Heimir Hallgrimsson, an Icelandic concoctor who has now succeeded in bringing the Irish national team through the play-off of the 2026 World Cup in the European zone.

Not to forget, the name of the Spaniard who previously led Iraq, Jesus Casas, is also on PSSI's radar.