Vietnam's TheThao247.vn has labeled 2025 a year of profound failure for Indonesian football across senior and youth levels, blaming frequent coach changes, U-23 team collapses, and internal PSSI conflicts for eroding the national team's playing identity.
Vietnam media outlet TheThao247.vn reflected on 2025 as a devastating year for Indonesian football, marked by consistent on-field disappointments from senior squads to youth teams, signaling a systemic crisis.
Central to the critique were disruptive coaching shifts by PSSI. The federation sacked Shin Tae-yong—previously linked to performance declines noted in events like the SEA Games—and installed Patrick Kluivert as senior team coach, a move decried as exacerbating instability. The fallout affected the U-23 side under Gerald Vanenburg, which suffered a humiliating failure to win the AFF U-23 Cup 2025 as hosts, followed by missing qualification for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026.
These results obliterated hopes for the 2026 World Cup and broader continental aspirations, including European-style competitions. '2025 became a bitter memory for Indonesian football, both at senior and U-23 levels; their World Cup dreams are shattered, and European competition qualification is dashed,' the outlet stated.
Vietnam media pinpointed PSSI's internal drama and erratic coaching policies as the root cause, leaving the national teams without a coherent playing identity or notable achievements throughout the year.
