Secret revealed: Shin Tae-yong betrayed by naturalized player during time as Indonesia head coach

Coach Shin Tae-yong (C) and the Indonesia national team arrive at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi on Dec. 13, 2024, two days before their match against Vietnam at the ASEAN Cup. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

PSSI terminated Kluivert’s contract on Friday despite it being valid until January 2027, following Indonesia’s exit from the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This decision is seen as a failure for PSSI and its president Erick Thohir and has revived public speculation surrounding the dismissal of the previous coach Shin Tae-yong earlier this year.

Indonesia’s House of Representatives member Andre Rosiade revealed that the decision to fire coach Shin stemmed from one of the naturalized players.

According to Rosiade, the rift started after Indonesia’s 1-2 loss to China in the third round of World Cup qualifiers in October 2024, when Shin’s tactical experiment failed.

"This player told head of the national team Sumardji that ‘Either Shin Tae-yong leaves or I will’. You can confirm this with Sumardji or the national team doctor. PSSI rarely denies this," Rosiade told Indonesian newspaper Detik.

Rosiade claims this was the start of the movement to remove Shin. Lobbying from leadership to national team members followed. Despite this, Shin led Indonesia to a historic 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia. However, the team’s elimination in the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup with the U20 squad was deemed enough reason for his departure.

In an official statement, Thohir acknowledged conflict between coach Shin and certain players.

Indonesian media outlets also reported that the decision to appoint Kluivert was largely driven by the desires of naturalized Dutch players, who make up about 65% of the squad.

Rosiade said that he held off from making statements about the conflict earlier, respecting his commitment to Thohir. "I couldn’t disrupt the national team’s preparation process," he added.

Despite the high-profile additions of players like Ole Romeny, Joey Pelupessy and Dean James under Kluivert, Indonesia did not make significant progress in terms of playing style. After six matches at the World Cup qualifiers, the team won two and lost four, scored five goals and conceded 15.

Rosiade emphasized that the failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup served as the catalyst for revealing the incident. He also stated that it was time for PSSI to reassess the situation, including the head coach's position.

"One important point is to ensure that players do not feel they wield greater influence than the national team going forward," he said, as quoted by Chosun. "This can arbitrarily influence decision-makers."

Having missed the World Cup target, Indonesia now have their sights set on the 2026 ASEAN Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup.

Potential coaching candidates include Shin himself, who was recently dismissed from his position at South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai after 65 days due to poor performance and player conflicts. However, Shin has stated he will not return to coach Indonesia.

Other candidates include former Uzbekistan coach Timur Kapadze, ex-Iraq coach Jesus Casas and former PSM Makassar coach Bernardo Tavares. Well-known Dutch coaches such as Mark van Bommel, Erik Ten Hag and Phillip Cocu have also been mentioned.