Patrick Kluivert has resigned as Indonesia’s head coach, just days after the country’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup ended.
The former Barcelona striker Appointed on a two-year contract in January Indonesia was striving to participate in the World Cup for the first time since independence in 1945.
lost to saudi arabiaand iraq Indonesia’s qualifying campaign ended last week.
“The Indonesian Football Association and the coaching team of the Indonesian national team have formally agreed to an early end to their cooperation through mutual termination of their contracts,” the football federation said in a statement. “This action was taken as part of a comprehensive evaluation of the country’s football coaching and development programs.”
Kluivert, who played 79 times as a player for the Netherlands, said in a message to fans posted on social media that he shared their disappointment.
“Our defeats against Saudi Arabia and Iraq taught us a bitter lesson, but they also reminded us how lofty our shared dreams are,” he wrote. “As head coach, I take full responsibility.”
Kluivert, 49, replaced South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong as the Indonesian association strengthened its policy of naturalizing players of Indonesian descent from Europe. The program enabled the team to advance to the final stage of qualifying for the first time since 1938, when they entered the World Cup as the Dutch East Indies.
Of Kluivert’s final roster of 23 members, most were born overseas, primarily in the Netherlands. However, performance did not improve noticeably under the new coaching setting. During Kluivert’s time in charge, Indonesia won three out of eight matches.
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