Patrick Kluivert’s tenure as Indonesia manager came to an abrupt end after the nation’s hopes of reaching the World Cup were dashed.
The 49-year-old Dutch legend, who has previously played for Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands, was appointed in January on a two-year deal.
His mission was to guide Indonesia to its first ever World Cup since independence from the Netherlands in 1945.
Kluivert managed to lead the team to the fourth round of Asian qualifying for the first time in its history. However, back-to-back defeats against Saudi Arabia and Iraq put an end to that dream.
A narrow 1-0 defeat to Iraq in Jeddah on Saturday officially ended their qualifying campaign – a result described by local media as “devastating”.
The match descended into chaos after the final whistle, with two Indonesian players receiving red cards amid heated exchanges on the pitch.
Subsequently, the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) confirmed the departure of Kluivert as well as his coaching staff.
A statement said: “The Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) and the Indonesian national team coaching staff have officially agreed to end their cooperation prematurely through mutual termination.
“This action was taken as part of an overall assessment of the national football training and development programme.
“After an open, thorough and respectful discussion, both parties have agreed to end this partnership.”
Kluivert had replaced South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong, whose dismissal was controversial given his role in improving the national team and maintaining its World Cup qualification hopes.
Despite his high-profile appointment and the help of technical advisor Jordi Cruyff, Kluivert managed just three wins in eight matches in charge, suffering four defeats and a draw.
Among those defeats were a 5-1 loss to Australia in their first match and a 6-0 drubbing of Japan.
Before accepting the job in Indonesia, Kluivert’s only head coaching jobs came at Curacao (2015-2016), where he won half of his 12 matches, and a short-lived stint with Turkish club Adana Demirspor.
As a player, Kluivert’s career was filled with silverware. He won the Champions League and two Eredivisie titles with Ajax before representing AC Milan, Barcelona, Newcastle, Valencia, PSV and Lille, winning La Liga and another Eredivisie crown in the process.
Since hanging up his boots in 2008, his most notable achievement as a coach came as assistant to Louis van Gaal when the Netherlands finished third at the 2014 World Cup.
