The President of the Indonesian Football Association speaks out after the dismissal of Coach Kluivert

Erick Thohir, President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), has commented after PSSI formally parted ways with Coach Patrick Kluivert

Recently, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) unexpectedly issued an announcement regarding the termination of Coach Patrick Kluivert. Shortly after, PSSI President Erick Thohir expressed his gratitude to the Dutch strategist for his contributions to the Indonesian national team during the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign.

Sharing on his personal Instagram, Erick Thohir wrote: "Thank you to Coach Patrick Kluivert and his coaching staff for their dedication over the past nearly 12 months to PSSI and the Indonesian national team.

With respect, PSSI and Coach Patrick along with his staff have mutually agreed to terminate the contract."

Patrick Kluivert was appointed head coach of the Indonesian national team earlier this year, succeeding Shin Tae Yong. The former Dutch international was expected to lead Garuda to an impressive performance in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Kluivert had a rough start as Indonesia suffered a 1-5 defeat against Australia in his debut match. However, he quickly regained fans’ confidence with back-to-back wins over Bahrain and China, securing the team’s place in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

At this stage, PSSI increased investments and added several naturalized players of Dutch origin aiming to fulfill the dream of taking the national team to the World Cup for the first time. Nonetheless, those ambitions were dashed as Indonesia was consecutively defeated by Saudi Arabia and Iraq, ending their journey in the fourth round.

Regarding Indonesia, Erick Thohir affirmed that PSSI will conduct a comprehensive evaluation and set new goals for the national team’s future.

He stated: "We will carry out an evaluation process and define objectives for the Indonesian team, aiming to break into the top 100 worldwide, participate in the 2027 Asian Cup, and qualify for the 2030 World Cup."

According to the official statement from PSSI, Patrick Kluivert is not the only one leaving. The entire coaching staff across all national team levels, including U23 coach Gerald Vanenburg and U20 coach Frank van Kempen, have also had their contracts terminated.

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