TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The chair of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, regrets the various insults and criticisms thrown against the players and coach of the Indonesian national team. He asks for full support for the Garuda squad, even with all its dynamics.
According to Erick, criticisms are better directed at him, not the players. "It's no problem, I'm okay with being criticized. But please don't break the players' spirits," he said in a press conference on Friday, July 18, 2025. "The coach is belittled even before starting the works, the players are trash-talked."
PSSI executives have been accustomed to criticism for decades, but requests for the spirits of the Indonesian national team players to be preserved.
Erick also highlighted the first match of the U-23 national team against Brunei Darussalam last Tuesday, which ended with an 8-0 victory for the Young Garuda team. But the match was scorned for having few spectators. Criticisms were also directed toward the Indonesian U-17 women's national team during the 2025 Women's Asia Cup Qualifiers in Tangerang.
"Isn't this pitiful?" he said, adding that he otherwise appreciated those who come to the stadium to show support, as well as fans who remain loyal despite Garuda Squad's victories or losses.
"Everything is part of the process, as there's no such thing as a quick win," said Erick.
Erick conveyed this a day after the draw for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers. The drawing, conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, July 17, 2025, placed Indonesia in Group B with Saudi Arabia and Iraq, where the matches will take place in Saudi Arabia and Qatar on October 8-14, 2025.
In the third round of the 2026 World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Indonesian national team faced Saudi Arabia in two matches, resulting in a 1-1 draw in the away game and a 2-0 win at home. At that time, the Garuda squad was still under the guidance of coach Shin Tae-yong.
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