Officially Becomes The Indonesian National Team Coach, Patrick Kluiver's Dark Case Dragged Gambling Rises Again

Patrick Kluivert was involved in gambling cases and was involved in debt with a gangster (Instagram/@patrickkluivert9).

JAKARTA - Dutch football legend, Patrick Kluivert, was officially introduced as the new coach of the Indonesian national team. His figure was appointed following Shin Tae-yong's dismissal on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Before finally being officially introduced as the new captain of the Indonesian national team on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, football lovers were excited to talk about Kluiver.

This Dutch coach is viral because he will replace Shin Tae-yong who is already so attached to the supporters of the Indonesian national team because he has successfully boosted the achievements of the Garuda Squad.

However, along with the spotlight that was on him, the figure of Kluiver was also a topic of conversation after the legal case that ensnared him in 2017 regarding gambling was also revealed.

Quoted from The Sun on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, Kluiver was known to have been involved in a gambling case while he was still the Director of Sports at Paris Saint Germain (PSG).

At that time, he was known to have gambling debts of more than 1 million euros or around Rp. 16.8 billion.

The gambling case that ensnared Kluivert was first revealed when he joined PSG. However, it turns out that the case actually happened years earlier, or to be precise in 2011 and 2012 when he was coach of the reserve team at the Dutch League club, FC Twenty.

At that time, Kluivert set a bet for FC Twente's first team. Instead of profit, he even lost big enough to make him in debt to a gang.

Because he was only able to pay off part of his debt, Kluiver was threatened to become a victim of the gang's extortion in 2014.

The same source later stated that there was no evidence that Kluivert was involved in setting the match and illegal bets. Kluivert's lawyer, Gerard Sprong, said his client was innocent of gambling cases while still at FC Twenty.

The lawyer stressed that his client was only a victim and had absolutely no criminal involvement to the manipulation of football matches.

In 2017, law enforcement officials examined Kluivert as witnesses. PSG as the team that recruited Kluivert as Director of Sports did not speak up when the gambling case that ensnared its officials surfaced.

Apart from the gambling case that dragged him down, Kluiver is a former soccer star who has played in a number of top European clubs. Based on Transfermarkt records, he played for Ajax in 1991-1997.

His career journey continues to the Italian Serie A giant, AC Milan, in 1998-2004. Six seasons in Rossoneri uniform, Kluivert anchored to La Liga ruler Barcelona. He played for the Blaugrana until 2005 before deciding to join Premier League club Newcastle United.

One year in Newcastle, Kluivert returned to La Liga after receiving a proposal from Valencia. After that, he strengthened PSV Eindhoven and Lille before deciding to hang up their boots in July 2008.

After retiring, Kluivert discovered his new world as a coach, both at the senior level or the first team, as well as youth groups. Reporting from Transfermarkt, the Dutch League club, AZ Alkmaar, once appointed Kluivert as the attacking coach in 2008.

Brisbane Roar then brought the former Barcelona star to Australia as assistant coach in 2010. However, the Kluivert trip in Kangaroo Country did not last long.

In 2010-2011, he moved to coach NEC Nijmegen as the striker coach and FC Twenty II with the role of head coach.

Kluivert was later appointed assistant coach of the Dutch National Team in 2012-2014.

In addition, he has also led Curacao, Ajax U-19, Cameroon, Barcelona Academy, and Adana Demirspor (Super Lig/Super Turkey League) who are the first and only professional clubs in his career.