Politician Confident National Team Preparations to Qualify for 2026 World Cup Under Kluivert
reported: Liu Setiawan
Jakarta, January 12, 2025/Indonesia Media – Indonesian politician and football administrator, Djohar Arifin believes that Indonesian football is in the hands of the new Dutch coach, Patrick Kluivert, even though the crash program for qualifying for the 2026 World Cup is only a few months away. “All players (of the Indonesian national football team) are ready. Everything has been handed over to the coach. If tactical and strategic decisions are handed over to the PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) management. We have no doubts,” Djohar Arifin told the editorial team via telephone.
The new coach of the Indonesian National Team, Patrick Kluivert, was officially introduced to the public through a press conference at the Mulia Hotel, Jakarta, Sunday (12/1), afternoon WIB. Kluivert arrived at 16.15 WIB. The Barcelona and Ajax Amsterdam legend arrived together with the Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir. He was also accompanied by assistant coach Denny Landzaat. He admitted that his contract is for 2 years with 2 main phases. The first is a 6-month preparation phase to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. And the second phase is playing in the 2026 World Cup. “(The appointment of Patrick Kluivert) has gone through a mature consideration process, because this is risking the name of the Nation. This is no joke,” said a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives.
His belief is inseparable from the experience of meeting and having direct discussions with Patrick Kluivert several years ago. The meeting between the two was on the sidelines of a football seminar abroad, which was attended by administrative managers and organizations from various countries. With the big name of the new coach, of course there will be many top-class diaspora players who play in various teams in Europe who are interested in joining the Indonesian national team. This is one of the positive things, which simultaneously prepares the U-23 team within two years to appear in the Olympics. ” When I attended the seminar, I was in my capacity as the general chairman of PSSI (2011 – 2015). I met Kluivert for a discussion while chatting. From there, I was sure of his success in handling the Garuda squad (National Team) in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers,” said a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Great Indonesia Movement Party faction, representing the North Sumatra electoral district. (LS/IM)
photo caption:
Djohar Arifin (left) and Patrick Kluivert