December 20, 2025 | 02:50 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Football analyst Kesit Budi Handoyo said that the new coach of the Indonesian national team needs to understand the characters and culture of the Garuda players, even though the squad is largely composed of European players. In recent development, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) has appointed John Herdman to the position, which has been vacant since Patrick Kluivert was dismissed on October 16.
"Even though the current Indonesian senior national team is mostly comprised of players born in Europe, they are now Indonesian players, who cannot be separated from the habits of the majority of Indonesian players," said Kesit, when contacted through messaging applications on Friday, December 19, 2025.
According to information from PSSI sources, the decision to appoint Herdman as the coach of the Indonesian national team was made after two meetings of the Executive Committee (Exco) of PSSI on Wednesday and Thursday last week. The experienced English coach has previously managed the national teams of both men and women in Canada. There were two strongest candidates in the meeting, Herdman and the Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Previously, two Tempo sources within PSSI mentioned that all Exco members agreed to appoint Herdman as the coach. This decision pushed aside Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who was previously the strongest candidate for the position of the Garuda team's tactician. "That's correct. Everyone agrees on John," said an Exco member to Tempo on Friday, December 19, 2025.
Kesit hopes that Herdman does not view the quality of Indonesian national team players the same way he viewed the players he previously coached in Europe, in order to avoid surprises. "This is important so that Herdman won't be surprised when he is here and meets and starts training them," he said.
The quality of the players on the Indonesian national team had previously been a topic of discussion among Patrick Kluivert's former assistant coaches when they were handling the Garuda squad. Alex Pastoor, one of Kluivert's assistants, considered the ambition of the Red and White national team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup as an unrealistic target.
One of the reasons is that Indonesia was ranked 119th by FIFA. Meanwhile, the opponents faced in the fourth round at that time, namely Saudi Arabia and Iraq, were ranked much higher, at 59th and 58th, respectively.
Read: Who Is John Herdman, Indonesia's Top Candidate for National Team Coach?
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Indonesian Foreign Minister to Attend ASEAN Meeting on Thailand-Cambodia Conflict
5 jam lalu
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono is scheduled to attend the ASEAN Ministerial Special Meeting in Malaysia to address the escalation of the Thailand-Cambodia conflict
2025 SEA Games Medal Standings: Indonesia Remains Second a Day Before Closing
6 jam lalu
Indonesia secures the second position in the medal standings with 11 additional gold medals added one day before the closing of the 2025 SEA Games.
SEA Games: Indonesia Men's Volleyball Gold Ambition Squashed by Thailand
16 jam lalu
The Indonesian men's volleyball team secured a silver medal at the SEA Games 2025 after losing to Thailand in the final match, which went on for five sets.
Prabowo Inaugurates 6 New Indonesian Ambassadors Today
20 jam lalu
Prabowo Subianto inaugurated 6 Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassadors of the Republic of Indonesia at the State Palace today.
Indonesian Triathlon Team Clinches Overall Championship at 2025 SEA Games
22 jam lalu
With a total of seven gold medals, Indonesia was confirmed as the overall champion of the 2025 SEA Games triathlon.
Today's Top 3 News: Indonesia History Rewrite: The Long, Debated Journey
22 jam lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Indonesia Grants Duty-Free Status to Diaspora Donations for Disaster Victims
23 jam lalu
There were previously rumors circulating that the Indonesian diaspora was complaining about the policy of sending aid donations to victims in Sumatra.
Cyclone 93S Brings Rain to Greater Jakarta Over the Past Two Days
1 hari lalu
New data and analysis from BMKG reveal that Tropical Cyclone 93S is currently located in the southern region of West Java. Which areas are affected?
2025 SEA Games: Indonesia Men's Volleyball Team Sets Sights on Gold
1 hari lalu
The Indonesian men's volleyball team will compete against the host team, Thailand, for the gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games on Friday, December 19.
SEA Games 2025: Indonesia Nears Runner-Up Finish
1 hari lalu
On the 10th day of the SEA Games 2025, Thursday, December 18, Indonesia added eight gold medals to secure second place in the standings.
:strip_icc():format(jpeg)/kly-media-production/medias/4548967/original/094336900_1692782124-tanaphong-toochinda-FEhFnQdLYyM-unsplash.jpg)