European media exclaims one thing about the new head coach of the Indonesia national team

Dutch media shows great interest in John Herdman, the successor to Patrick Kluivert as Indonesia's national team head coach.

Official announcement regarding the appointment of John Herdman as head coach of the Indonesia national team has attracted attention from international media, including the Dutch press. The Voetbal Primeur newspaperalso published an intriguing article about the appointment of this English coach.

John Herdman has finally filled the head coach position of the Indonesia national team since Patrick Kluivert was dismissed in October 2025. The former head coach of the Canadian national team signed a 2-year contract with an additional 2-year option with PSSI, starting today, Saturday (01/03/2026).

"The Indonesian team, heavily influenced by Dutch players, now introduces a new figure as Kluivert's successor,"is the headline of the Voetbal Primeur article. "The Indonesian Football Association announced today that John Herdman is the new head coach of the national team. The English coach will succeed Patrick Kluivert, who resigned," the newspaper continued.

The Indonesia national team was once led by a Dutch coaching staff. Besides head coach Patrick Kluivert, Alex Pastoor and Denny Landzaat served as assistant coaches.

Gerald Vanenburg coached the Indonesia U23 team at that time, while Jordi Cruyff acted as technical advisor. Indonesia's 2026 World Cup campaign ended in the 4th round without qualifying for the finals. This led to Kluivert’s dismissal and forced resignation. Pastoor and Landzaat also faced the same fate. Currently, Landzaat is assistant to Fred Grim at Ajax.

John Herdman competed with several other well-known coaches for the head coach position of Indonesia's national team. Previously, names like John Heitinga and Giovanni van Bronckhorst were rumored as potential replacements for Kluivert.

Herdman brings extensive experience as the coach of the Canadian national team, leading them to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. He also coached Toronto FC. "This English coach was also offered the chance to lead the Jamaican national team but declined for the benefit of Indonesia," the newspaper concluded.