Former Dutch star striker Patrick Kluivert, the newly appointed head coach of Indonesia, is facing backlash from fans, with many demanding his dismissal despite him not having led the team in a single match.
According to statistics site TweetBinder, over 100 posts on social media platform X have been tagged with #KluivertOut in the past week. The Dutch coach joined the team on Jan. 12 but has yet to conduct a training session. The squad will only assemble in March 2025 for matches against Australia and Bahrain in group C of the 2026 World Cup third qualifying round.
Fans are critical of Kluivert’s coaching record, pointing to underwhelming results during his stints with the Curacao national team and Turkish club Adana Demirspor, where his win rate was at 50% or less.
“Appointing Kluivert is a gamble,” wrote @Titipan_Mafia on X with the hashtag #KluivertOut.
Kluivert, a celebrated striker named in the late Brazilian football legend Pele’s list of the 125 greatest living players in 2004, transitioned to coaching after retiring in 2008. Despite holding various assistant roles and leading Curacao, he has yet to secure any notable accomplishments as a head coach. His appointment in Indonesia was influenced by his status as a Dutch football icon, as several Indonesian players were born in the Netherlands.
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Criticism of Kluivert is also fueled by frustration over the dismissal of his predecessor, Shin Tae-yong.
The South Korean coach led Indonesia to a notable 2-0 victory against Saudi Arabia in their last World Cup qualifying game but was dismissed after reportedly losing the trust of some naturalized Indonesian players.
Despite the backlash from fans, some Indonesian coaches have shown support for Kluivert. Coach Ricky Nelson argued that Kluivert’s previous results were irrelevant as they also depended on the quality of his players. Coach Isman Jasulmei believed that Kluivert could enhance Indonesia’s attacking capability.
“Kluivert was a striker and grew up in a country known for total attacking football,” Jasulmei told Bola. “Therefore, he will help Indonesia play beautiful football, just as what I wanted. I’m eager to see how Indonesia would perform under him.”
In group C, Japan are the favorite to secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup with 16 points after six matches. The remaining five teams, Australia (7 points), Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China (6 points each), will compete for the second direct qualifying spot and two places in the fourth qualifying round.
