Coach John Herdman Tightens Discipline of National Team That Was Lax Under Patrick Kluivert

The head of the National Team Board highlighted the weak discipline of Indonesian national team players during the coaching era of Patrick Kluivert.

According to him, this condition was one of the main factors behind the appointment of John Herdman as the new national team coach.

He assessed that the aspect of player discipline under Kluivert’s management was too lax and impacted the team’s overall performance.

Therefore, the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) places great hope in Herdman to fix this issue and rebuild the players’ mentality from the start.

“One of the considerations in our decision to choose John Herdman is his discipline,” he said.

He explained that issues of discipline and mentality were the main topics of discussion when he spoke with Herdman.

According to him, these two aspects are an important part of the national team’s character that must be restored.

“Earlier, when I had a lengthy discussion with John, one of the things we talked about was discipline and mentality. So building discipline and mentality is part of our character, and that’s what we must rebuild,” he stated.

He mentioned that the negative impact of weak discipline was felt not only by local players but also by players of Indonesian descent or diaspora.

In fact, he considered the team atmosphere during the Kluivert era to be too relaxed.

“Because previously, it could be said that during the Patrick Kluivert era, it was too slow, too relaxed. So the impact was also not good, both for diaspora players and local players,” he said.

In his view, discipline and mentality are the two main tasks that Herdman must solve.

If these two things can be improved, he is optimistic that the Indonesian National Team will have a more solid strength going forward.

“That is the most important part that needs to be fixed, and John earlier explained how to balance that. Discipline becomes an incredible strength to face our journey ahead,” he said.

Additionally, John Herdman has been contracted by PSSI for two years as the coach of the Indonesian National Team, with an option for a two-year extension.

During this initial contract period, Herdman is tasked with leading Indonesia to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Furthermore, Herdman also bears the long-term responsibility of leading the Garuda squad to compete for a spot in the 2030 World Cup.

The nearest agenda to be faced in 2026 is the FIFA Series to be held in March, as well as the ASEAN Cup 2026 from July to August.

Achievements in these two tournaments are considered to be Herdman’s initial test in gaining the trust of the Indonesian football public.