On the evening of January 6th, Beijing time, according to reports from well-known transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, 48-year-old Dutch football legend Patrick Kluivert will replace the recently dismissed South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong as the new head coach of the Indonesian men's national football team. The two parties will sign a contract with a term of 2 years, plus an option to extend for another 2 years. Kluivet's primary goal upon taking office is to lead the team to surpass the Chinese men's national team in order to secure one of the top four spots in the group and qualify for the World Cup. The unveiling ceremony for Kluivert will be held in Indonesia on January 12th.
The 48-year-old Kluivert was one of the best strikers in the football world during his playing career, having played for clubs such as Ajax, AC Milan, Barcelona, and Newcastle. After retiring, his coaching career has not been particularly remarkable. He has served as an assistant coach for Cameroon, an interim head coach for Curacao, and his only formal head coaching experience was with Turkish club Demir Grup Sivasspor starting in July 2023, where he managed 20 games with 8 wins, 6 draws, and 6 losses before being dismissed after 5 months.
The reason why the Indonesian Football Association chose Kluivert may have a lot to do with the many naturalized players of Dutch origin within the team. Being Dutch himself, he undoubtedly understands how to leverage the characteristics of these players who play in the Eredivisie.
After six rounds of the 18-team Group C competition, the Indonesian men's national team has 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 losses, accumulating 6 points and temporarily ranking third, tied with the Chinese men's national team. According to the schedule, the Indonesian men's national team will host the Chinese men's national team at home on June 5th.
