Indonesia officially announces the dismissal of head coach Cruyff! Missing out on the World Cup, last-minute tactical changes heavily criticized

On October 16th, Beijing time, the Indonesian Football Association officially declared that the Dutch head coach Cruyff has been relieved of his duties. The association’s statement read: "Following transparent and respectful talks, both sides have consented to terminate the partnership. We appreciate the commitment and professionalism shown by coach Patrick Cruyff and his staff. Their spirit and presence in Indonesia will always be remembered, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors."

Cruyff took over as Indonesia’s national team coach on January 8, 2025, succeeding departing South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong. During his tenure, he led the team in 8 matches, achieving 3 wins, 1 draw, and 4 losses (including 2 wins and 2 losses in the final 18 qualifiers, 1 win and 1 draw in friendlies, and two consecutive defeats in the playoffs). After a tough debut with a 1-5 away loss to Australia in the final 18 qualifiers, Cruyff’s team won two consecutive 1-0 home matches against Bahrain and China. Despite a heavy 0-6 loss to Japan in the last round, Indonesia still advanced to the fourth stage of the Asian World Cup qualifiers as the fourth in their group.

Subsequently, in two September friendlies, Cruyff’s team recorded a 6-0 victory over Chinese Taipei and a 0-0 draw against Lebanon. However, in the October playoffs held in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia and 0-1 to Iraq, suffering back-to-back defeats. Ultimately, they finished at the bottom of playoff Group B and failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

In fact, after the first playoff defeat to Saudi Arabia, Indonesian media raised many doubts about Cruyff’s tactical choices. Most notably, starting from the September friendlies, the team abandoned the familiar 3-4-3 formation used since Shin Tae-yong’s era and switched to a 4-4-2, which was widely rejected by the public. Additionally, before the playoffs, with more naturalized players added, key starters from the final 18 qualifiers such as naturalized defender Habner, defensive midfielder Haye, striker Romeni, as well as local center-back Rido and winger Ferdinand, were all dropped from the starting lineup under Cruyff’s selection. This personnel decision drew criticism from many Indonesian fans.

After being eliminated in the playoffs, the players’ performances did not receive much harsh criticism from fans; instead, the trending topic "Cruyff dismissed" remained highly popular, signaling an unprecedented crisis for the Dutch coach’s position. Ultimately, the Dutchman could not avoid being relieved of his duties.