2026 World Cup: Indonesian football federation sacks Kluivert
Indonesia has parted ways with its Dutch men’s national soccer team coach, Patrick Kluivert, after nearly 12 months on the job, citing a mutual agreement.
Kluivert’s departure on Thursday follows Indonesia’s “devastating” loss on Saturday in Jeddah against Iraq, which ended their chance of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“After an open, full and respectful discussion, both parties agreed to end this partnership,” the country’s soccer federation said on Instagram.
It did not state the reason for the termination.
Indonesia was looking to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since the country claimed independence from the Netherlands in 1945.
Their progress to the fourth round of Asia’s preliminaries was the country’s best performance to date.
Former AC Milan, Ajax, and Barcelona player Kluivert was hired in January, with his contract set to expire in 2027.
He oversaw a team built largely on players from the country’s Dutch diaspora.
(Reuters/NAN)
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