The mainstay defender of the Indonesian National Team, Calvin Verdonk, believes that the future of the Garuda Team looks bright with the new coach, Patrick Kluivert.
Patrick Kluivert’s debut as the coach of the Indonesian National Team ended in a crushing 1-5 defeat to Australia in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Group C at the Sydney Stadium, Thursday (20/3/2025).
The hashtag Patrick Kluivert out immediately circulated shortly after the Indonesian National Team lost to Australia.
However, Calvin Verdonk believes that a coach cannot be judged by just one match. Verdonk still views Patrick Kluivert’s presence on the Indonesian National Team positively.
“It’s good to have him here. I think he has a big personality in football and also personally, yes we have only played one match and the future looks bright with Patrick,” said Verdonk during training with the Indonesian National Team, Saturday (22/3/2025).
Verdonk assessed that Patrick Kluivert and Shin Tae Yong’s visions were different when handling the Indonesian National Team.
“Of course, they are not the same person and he has his own vision, and Shin Tae Yong has his own vision. Now we are in a new era with Patrick Kluivert,” said Verdonk.
“I don’t know what to say about the differences between the two coaches. I think they are both great coaches,” said Verdonk.
Ahead of hosting Bahrain, Calvin Verdonk assessed that Bahrain’s dead ball is not as strong as Australia’s so he is confident that the Indonesian National Team can win.
The Indonesian National Team will face Bahrain in the continuation of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium on Tuesday (3/25/2025).
According to Verdonk, Bahrain should not be underestimated. However, the Red and White team must not be careless when facing the 2025 Gulf Cup champions. Verdonk is confident that they can beat Bahrain.
Regarding the dead ball situation which was a problem when Indonesia played Australia, Verdonk assessed that it had been anticipated for the opponent Bahrain.
Image source: goal.com
