If Kluivert is fired, will PSSI have to pay Rp 3 billion?

Patrick Kluivert failed to meet the expectations set by the Indonesian football public. The Dutch tactician was unable to bring out the best capabilities of the "Garuda" squad, resulting in their elimination in the fourth round of the World Cup qualifiers. The narrative of Kluivert's dismissal has also emerged.

Kluivert was contracted by the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) as of January 8, 2025. He replaces coach Shin Tae-yong, who has been the tactician for the Garuda squad for five years.

The recruitment process of Kluivert was carried out by the General Chair of PSSI, Erick Thohir, since the end of December 2024. On Christmas Eve last year, Kluivert was able to convince Erick to bring a complete Dutch atmosphere from the composition of the diaspora players to the coaching staff.

However, the ambition to reach the World Cup by changing coaches in the midst of the third round of competition ultimately faltered. Indonesia was indeed able to advance to the fourth round, but two defeats against Saudi Arabia and Iraq ended the journey of Rikzy Ridho and his teammates towards the 2026 World Cup.

For Kluivert, being with Indonesia marks his second failure to meet the target of advancing to the main stage of the World Cup. Previously, he also failed to lead Curacao to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Kluivert struggled with Curacao for 15 months with the Concacaf zone team. During that period, Curacao suffered two defeats and only managed to secure two draws in four matches leading up to the 2018 World Cup.

"Of course, I am very disappointed. Everyone in this team has worked very hard to realize the dream (of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup). The disappointment is felt not only by the players and staff but also by the Indonesian nation. This is very difficult," said Kluivert after the match against Iraq.

In a press conference following the match, he was still unaware of the decision and his future plans with the Indonesian national team. Meanwhile, the Garuda squad must reunite for international matches in November.

"I do not have a plan yet. I need to reflect on what we have done. I do not know what will happen after this (match)," said Kluivert, the 49-year-old tactician.

By examining his coaching career thus far, Kluivert indeed tends to leave a team when the initial targets cannot be achieved. He is accustomed to stepping back before the duration of his contract is completed.

For example, Kluivert was provided with a three-year contract with Curacao to participate in the 2018 Russia World Cup. After being eliminated in the qualifying round, Kluivert immediately resigned from his position as head coach of Curacao.

Nevertheless, the Curacao Football Federation (FFK) appointed Kluivert as a strategic advisor from July 2016 to June 2018. This decision was believed to avoid compensation payments from the termination of an active contract.

Given the situation, PSSI also needs to carefully consider if it wishes to terminate the cooperation with the former Ajax Amsterdam player. Kluivert still has a contract until the end of January 2027 with PSSI.

PSSI has indeed never disclosed the exact contract value for Kluivert to coach the Indonesian national team. However, the collaboration value between PSSI and Kluivert is not significantly different from Kluivert's contract with his previous team, Adana Demirspor, in the Turkish League.

This is often the case with professional coaches' contracts. They already have a rate card for their pay that aligns with their track record.

Kluivert lasted only five months of his 24-month contract. His performance failed to meet expectations, leading Adana management to enter into a mutual agreement with Kluivert, which would terminate the partnership on December 4, 2023.

Despite an agreement between the two parties, it turns out that Adana still has to dig into funds to pay compensation for the termination of Kluivert's contract.

Kompas obtained a copy of the FIFA Football Tribunal's decision, numbered FPSD-13870, dated April 4, 2024. The decision revealed that Adana and Kluivert signed a mutual termination agreement, which stipulated financial consequences for contract termination. However, Adana failed to fulfill Kluivert's rights by the February 2024 deadline.

The decision of the FIFA Football Tribunal requires Adana to pay compensation to Kluivert. It was stated that Adana still has outstanding remuneration, generally related to salary and payment of facilities during the contract period, amounting to 142,666 euros or approximately Rp 2.75 billion.

Kluivert's final salary was supposed to be paid by Adana no later than December 8, 2023. In addition, there is also compensation from the termination of the contract. The amount reaches 150,000 euros or approximately Rp 2.9 billion.

As a result, Adana must pay Kluivert nearly Rp 3 billion even though the contract has already been terminated. The compensation payment is supposed to be made in two installments, each on January 30, 2024, and February 28, 2024.

Referring to the decision of the FIFA Football Tribunal, the amount of similar compensation that PSSI may potentially have to pay if they dismiss Kluivert due to disappointing results in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

If PSSI wishes to avoid the potential payment of compensation, it could emulate Curacao's approach by assigning a different role to Kluivert. A position as a staff member in the PSSI technical team, similar to Jordi Cruyff's role as a technical advisor, could be an option. Kluivert previously held that position for Paris Saint-Germain from July 2016 to June 2017.

Kluivert could also be assigned the task of handling early age development. He previously held the position of Academy Manager at Barcelona from July 2019 to June 2021.

Whatever the results of the PSSI evaluation, it will certainly reflect the federation's ambitions for the Indonesian national team moving forward. The failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup should serve as a turning point for improving development and program planning in order to qualify for the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the 100th edition of the prestigious tournament.

"Thank you to the supporters, players, and officials for the effort to reach the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. For the first time in history, Indonesia has come this far. We apologize that the dream of entering the World Cup has not yet been realized," said the Chairman of PSSI, Erick Thohir, in his statement.