PSSI Technical Director Alexander Zwiers Promises a Sustainable Football System and Philosophy

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - PSSI has finally found the figure of a technical director that has been sought for more than two years. Alexander Zwiers has been chosen by PSSI to develop the coaching and development system for national football. Additionally, the establishment of the national team's philosophy will also be the responsibility of the man from the Netherlands.

In order to carry out this extremely heavy and complex task, Zwiers has been provided with a four-year contract. At least until mid-2029 serves as the deadline for Zwiers to assist Indonesia in establishing a football system that has so far remained uncertain.

To that end, Zwiers expressed that he will utilize the first 100 days of his tenure to listen extensively, engage in discussions, and conduct observations with all individuals in the Indonesian football community. He aims to converse and absorb knowledge and aspirations from the stakeholders, such as clubs, professional coaches, and grassroots tacticians.

"First, I will identify the problems and challenges to understand the strengths and weaknesses that need to be developed in Indonesian football," said Zwiers at his introductory press conference in Jakarta, Monday (25/8/2025) evening.

"We will gradually make improvements with the main focus on identifying the talents of Indonesian players at the grassroots level, refining the coaching education system, and then presenting a national team's playing identity that represents the spirit of the Indonesian nation," he continued.

I accepted this assignment because I saw that Indonesia really loves football.

In his more than 20-year career in football, Zwiers has become accustomed to working behind the scenes to develop youth training systems up to the pre-senior level. He has done this at several clubs in the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Mexico, and Kazakhstan. Most recently, he has served as the Technical Director of the Jordan Football Association since April 2019 until July 2025.

Zwiers' steady hand has helped Jordan achieve several historic milestones in the past two years. This began with guiding Jordan to the finals of the 2023 Asian Cup in February 2024. He also played a role in leading Jordan to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in the 2026 edition.

"I accepted this task because I see Indonesia as a nation that deeply loves football. I am also surrounded by legends, Patrick Kluivert, Jordi Cruyff, and Mr. Erick Thohir. This joint task with Indonesia feels like a life mission for me due to the extraordinary potential of young players," said Zwiers.

For Zwiers, Indonesia is not a foreign country. Half of his heart is already attached to this nation. He has been married to an Indonesian woman since 2000. He has also lived in Tangerang, Banten, for four years.

Zwiers' wife and daughter have returned to Indonesia since July. This situation has made Zwiers committed to staying in Indonesia for the duration of his four-year service with PSSI.

The Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir, stated that Zwiers meets the three criteria set by PSSI for selecting a technical director. These criteria are career track record, commitment, and football philosophy.

According to Erick, Zwiers' experience has been recognized due to his career spanning from Europe to Asia. An important consideration for PSSI, Erick continued, is Zwiers' understanding of the competition in Asian football.

"He (Zwiers) is also committed to building a national football ecosystem by being in Indonesia for four years. From a philosophical standpoint, he has proven capable of establishing a football system and performance that prioritizes collaboration to achieve collective goals," said Erick.

Furthermore, before formulating the national football development system, Zwiers has a significant short-term task. This task involves assisting the senior national team in preparing for the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualification matches, scheduled for October.

"With Alex (Zwiers)'s background of being familiar with Middle Eastern competition, the hope is for a soothing whisper for the national team's preparations," said Erick with a smile.

Regarding the philosophy of Indonesian football that was introduced in 2017, namely "filanesia," Zwiers is not yet well-informed about it. Nevertheless, he emphasized that he will not completely eliminate the philosophy that once played a role in shaping national players in the past.

According to Zwiers, building a country's football must be based on respect for the past and recognizing the true strengths of football. This combination plays a significant role in discovering the uniqueness that is essential for continuing the development of future generations of football.

"We need to develop players with a distinctive Indonesian identity that is reflected in the national team. To achieve this, we need to conduct investigations and analyze data to establish benchmarks for the development of national players," he said.

Erick added, "In the first 100 days, we will give Alex the opportunity to listen. After that, we will discuss the blueprint for Indonesian football that we have submitted to FIFA. Alex can provide input to refine it."

The presence of Zwiers has completed the composition of the PSSI technical team. He will be directly assisted by PSSI technical advisor Jordi Cruyff and PSSI Head of Talent Scouting Simon Tahamata. Additionally, Zwiers is also supported by PSSI technical team member Indra Sjafri, as well as the Head of the National Team Agency Sumardji.