'Hot seat' of Indonesia national team receives unusual signal from former Liverpool assistant coach

The coach who recently parted ways with the top Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam has unexpectedly become one of the candidates for the head coach position of the Indonesian national team.

The Dutch site Voetbal Primeur continues to update information about the race to find the head coach for Indonesia. This time, the spotlight is on John Heitinga, former Ajax Amsterdam manager, who left the club after a brief tenure.

Voetbal Primeur wrote in an article related to his surprising appearance on the list of candidates for Indonesia: “Heitinga sent out signals about an exciting new job on his personal Instagram account.”

Heitinga’s appearance is no coincidence. His latest social media activities suggest he might be interested in working opportunities in Southeast Asia.

According to Voetbal Primeur, the clearest sign comes from the Instagram accounts Heitinga recently followed. Specifically, he followed: PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir, the official @timnasindonesia account, and PSSI technical advisor Jordi Cruyff.

Voetbal Primeur commented: “John Heitinga may be signaling a collaboration with Indonesia on Instagram. The former defender also follows the Indonesian national team, the federation chairman, and advisor Jordi Cruyff.”

This move immediately sparked strong speculation in the Indonesian football community. While Indonesia is searching for a new head coach, Heitinga is currently a free agent after leaving Ajax due to unsatisfactory results. Additionally, his Indonesian heritage makes this connection even more plausible.

Voetbal Primeur added: “The head coach position of Indonesia’s national team is currently vacant, and Heitinga is unemployed. This former center-back with Indonesian roots recently left Ajax after disappointing outcomes.”

The timing coincidence, combined with his following of three PSSI-related accounts, makes Dutch media believe that the possibility of cooperation is very real. Recently, Heitinga’s Instagram has been frequently visited by Indonesian fans. Comments from Indonesian supporters are densely appearing under his posts, expressing excitement even though it remains only a signal.

This interest instantly became a hot topic within the Indonesian football community. Although there is no official confirmation from PSSI or Heitinga, most fans believe that his following of three accounts “directly related” to the national team is not a coincidence.

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