Article by Tudor Belivacă – Published Thursday, October 16, 2025, 10:04 / Updated Thursday, October 16, 2025 10:28
Patrick Kluivert (49) has been sacked as manager of Indonesia's national football team after the team missed out on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Indonesia's national soccer team lost both of their World Cup qualifiers in October and missed out on what could have been the country's first qualification for a finals World Cup.
The collaboration with Patrick Kluivert was terminated, and he left Asia with his staff due to results below expectations. The 49-year-old technician took over the team in January 2025, managing just three wins in eight matches.
The official statement of the Federation of Indonesia: “After an open, full and respectful discussion, both parties have agreed to conclude this partnership”
“The Indonesian Football Federation and the coaching staff have officially agreed to terminate their contractual relationship.
This measure was taken as part of an assessment of how the national team is coached and the development of the football development programme.
After an open, full and respectful discussion, both parties have agreed to end this partnership,” the Indonesian Football Federation said in an official statement.
Patrick Kluivert is not a new coach. He also trained the Curacao national team from March 2015 to June 2016, also for 8 matches. He was also second in the Dutch national team. At club level he trained Adana Demirspor for 5 months in 2023.
At the helm of the Indonesian national team, Patrick Kluivert suffered some tough setbacks: 5-1 against Australia in the very first match on the bench and a 6-0 against Japan. They beat China and Bahrain narrowly, 1-0 in both games, and also managed a goal-scoring win in a friendly against Taiwan.
Kluivert's last game on the bench was shocking: scandal after they roughed up the referee
Indonesia lost to Iraq, score 1-0, goal scored by Zidane Iqbal, in the 76th minute.
In the match's extra time, Indonesia received three red cards after a team official roughed up the referee. At the end, the footballers contested the rest of the yellow cards they received. The moment that caused them to “catch fire” came in overtime. An Indonesian footballer was hit in the face with his arm in the box. The “central” did not dictate a shot from 11 meters, which is why the footballers coached by Patrick Kluivert went to protests.
TV cameras caught bench defender Shayne Pattynama involved in a verbal altercation with Iraq coach Graham Arnold. He was the first footballer sanctioned with the red card. Afterwards, Indonesia's head of delegation, Kombes Pol Surmadji, pushed referee Ma Ning. Midfielder Thom Haye was also sent off for protesting.
