The Indonesian national Football team is attracting attention following the appointment of Patrick Kluivert as its new coach, succeeding Shin Tae-yong. According to a source, Garuda’s squad is remarkably composed of players from the Dutch diaspora.
From the first remarks, the source referred to the transition from a successful South Korean coach to a renowned former Dutch striker as a risky move that might not yield the expected results.
The narrative suggests that the composition of the Indonesian national team reflects historical links, with many players of Dutch origin reminiscent of the footballing landscape of the Dutch East Indies colonial era. Notably, among the eleven players who contributed to Indonesia’s impressive 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the 2026 World Cup qualifier, eight were born in the Netherlands.
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Additionally, the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) is actively seeking to naturalize more European players with origins linking them to Indonesia, a reflection of the country’s colonial heritage, which ended in 1945.
Although the injection of talent from the diaspora has indeed boosted the quality of the national team, it also posed challenges for Shin Tae-yong, who led the Garuda team to a creditable third place in the rankings. group C.
-The source also noted that Shin’s coaching background, which includes winning the Asian Champions League in 2010 with Seongnam and coaching South Korea at the 2018 World Cup, surpasses that of Kluivert, who, despite his illustrious playing career, has not achieved the same stature as a coach.
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Concerns have also been raised about Kluivert’s coaching experience, which does not match his accolades as a former player. Nevertheless, the PSSI remains optimistic about the ability of this Ajax and FC Barcelona legend to improve the performance of the Garuda team on the field.
Kluivert has set ambitious targets for his first two matches in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifying, scheduled for March against Australia and Bahrain. He aims for Indonesia to secure a total of four points from these encounters, targeting one point in the away match against Australia and three points in the home clash with Bahrain.
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