Indonesian football fans unanimously demand Shin Tae Yong’s return

The Indonesian Football Association has appointed John Herdman as the new national team coach, but not all fans agree with this decision.

News about Indonesia preparing to appoint John Herdman as the national team head coach quickly dominated domestic media coverage. This was not only because of the new name but also due to the rare credentials of the English coach, who led both Canada’s women’s and men’s teams to World Cup qualifications. For Indonesia, this is seen as a choice “unlike any before.”

However, not all Indonesian fans welcomed this decision. Witnessing the success of Vietnamese football under coach Kim Sang Sik with a resilient playing style, stamina, and fighting spirit, many Indonesian fans strongly recalled their own team’s era under coach Shin Tae Yong.

Therefore, a group of fans called on the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) to invite coach Shin Tae Yong back. However, PSSI ignored these calls and focused fully on coach John Herdman.

This angered that segment of Indonesian fans. After news broke that Coach Herdman would become Indonesia’s coach, this fan group launched a protest to pressure PSSI.

On their protest poster, this group declared: “Boycott the new coach! Without STY (Shin Tae Yong), we will not attend the stadium.”.

Even the Stars Football Indonesia fanpage, with 160k followers, posted support for this call:“Ego and pride are the biggest enemies of progress in football.

When the federation blocks out the voices of the public and national team supporters, they choose a path many see as mistaken and risky, one that does not match the expectations of millions of domestic football fans.

Previously, many neutral observers and football fans hoped that coach Shin Tae-yong would continue to be trusted to lead Indonesia’s team. He is considered the one who laid the foundation, achieved results, and helped the Indonesian team regain its glory.

Unfortunately, the federation chose a different direction. Their own “version” of a path, perhaps to cover up weaknesses and failures in 2025, by appointing a coach they selected without heeding the majority public opinion.”

Currently, this call is gaining strong support from many Indonesian fans. The scale of the protest remains unclear, but it certainly poses a significant issue for the Indonesian Football Association. It may also be a considerable obstacle for coach Herdman as he adapts to the football culture of the archipelago.