The downfall of the former Manchester United coach taking charge of the Indonesia national team

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir emphasized that the news claiming former Manchester United coaches Louis van Gaal or Frank de Boer would take over the Indonesia national team is nothing more than unfounded rumors circulating online.

Erick Thohir, Chairman of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), stated that reports about Louis van Gaal or Frank de Boer becoming the new head coach of the Indonesia national team are false rumors spreading on social media.

Speaking in Jakarta on October 23rd, Erick revealed that PSSI has not engaged in any negotiations or contacts with the two Dutch strategists. “There is no new coach yet. Van Gaal and Frank de Boer are all fake news. Honestly, this has negatively impacted our football ecosystem because the media also got caught up in it,” Erick shared.

The rumors originated when Van Gaal announced he would hold an important press conference on October 20th. Many websites immediately speculated that the former Netherlands coach would be introduced as Indonesia's new manager. However, the press conference was actually about a charity event in the Netherlands that he was involved with.

A similar situation happened with Frank de Boer. The PSSI Chairman confirmed that he “has never contacted or even considered” appointing the former Ajax and Netherlands coach. “All of it is just speculation by online users. I just laughed when I saw Van Gaal hold a press conference and announce something completely different,” Erick added.

The PSSI head also stressed that the process of selecting a new coach for the Indonesia team is still being carefully reviewed. PSSI aims to choose the most suitable candidate after Patrick Kluivert’s tenure, based on experience, philosophy, and ability to develop Indonesian football.

“We are reviewing profiles, evaluating what coaches Shin Tae Yong and Patrick Kluivert have achieved, as well as the areas needing improvement for the successor. Both are part of the past, and we must move forward to find a better coach,” Erick explained.

According to him, the final decision will be made after the Technical Coaching Board (BTN) and Technical Director Alexander Zwiers agree on the list of candidates, before presenting it to the PSSI Executive Committee (Exco) for approval.