Coach Kluivert speaks frankly about Malaysia’s citizenship scandal

Indonesia’s head coach, Patrick Kluivert, refused to comment when asked by reporters about the falsification incident linked to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

At the press conference on the afternoon of October 7, 2025 (local time), Indonesia’s head coach, Patrick Kluivert, chose not to respond to media inquiries concerning the document forgery scandal of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), which led to an official sanction from FIFA.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) recently imposed penalties on FAM after uncovering numerous irregularities in the naturalization process of players. Investigations revealed administrative anomalies, particularly that several foreign-born players were registered to compete for Malaysia’s national team with invalid documentation.

This incident immediately shocked Southeast Asian football, severely damaging FAM’s reputation and posing the risk of Malaysia being banned from some international tournaments. However, amidst the heated debate, Patrick Kluivert appeared completely indifferent, focusing fully on the upcoming match against Saudi Arabia in the qualifiers. 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

During the official pre-match press conference, when asked about the sanctions against Malaysia, Kluivert gave a brief reply: “No, I don’t want to discuss that. I’m not interested in this topic,” the Dutch coach stated firmly.

Even when some journalists tried to link the issue to the broader regional football context, Kluivert remained calm and resolute in withholding comments:

“I don’t know anything about that, and honestly, I don’t care. The only thing on my mind right now is tomorrow’s match with the Indonesian team — that’s the real story,” he emphasized.

According to Kluivert, the top priority now is to help Indonesia perform at their best against a strong opponent like Saudi Arabia: “The only thing capturing my attention is tomorrow’s game,” the former Barcelona striker affirmed.

Regarding the team’s morale and preparation, Kluivert said the players are highly focused:

“Mentally, we are ready. The players’ concentration levels are excellent. Everyone understands the significance of this match. The most important thing is not to be distracted by the crowd and to continue executing what we have prepared,” Kluivert added.

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