JAKARTA: Netherlands and Barcelona great Patrick Kluivert was named Indonesia coach on Wednesday, tasked with taking the country to their first World Cup since independence.
The 48-year-old former striker inherits a side featuring mostly players born in the Netherlands and naturalised to represent the Southeast Asian nation. “The Dutch football legend has signed a two-year contract from 2025 to 2027 with an option for an extension,” Indonesia´s football association, the PSSI, said in a statement.
Kluivert, whose managerial career has not matched his sparkling playing days, is scheduled to arrive in Indonesia on Saturday and will be introduced to the public the following day. The Dutchman had been widely linked with the role after Indonesia controversially sacked the South Korean Shin Tae-yong on Monday.
Shin took Indonesia, who are 127th in the FIFA rankings, into the decisive third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Indonesia have only been to the World Cup once, in 1938, when they were under Dutch colonial rule. The country gained independence in 1945.
They are firmly in the hunt for 2026, sitting third in their qualifying group after one win and three draws in six games. The top two go straight to North America, with third and fourth going into another round of qualifying.