Jordi Cruyff's Vision Bridges the Dream of the Indonesian National Team

JAKARTA, KOMPAS -- For Jordi Cryuff, building a great team requires more than one "head." The new technical advisor for the Indonesian national team is committed to bridging various perspectives to find the best development strategy. Cryuff's experience in adapting and collaborating becomes highly crucial.

Cryuff was introduced to the media for the first time at Hotel Mulia, Jakarta, on Tuesday (11/3/2025). The former Barcelona Sports Director appeared enthusiastic about his new role. "You can feel the great passion for football everywhere," he said, having been in Jakarta for only two days.

The arrival of Cryuff marks the next step for PSSI. A coaching team consisting of prominent figures, including Patrick Kluivert and Alex Pastoor, had been formed earlier. Cryuff was appointed to assist in decision-making for the national team's long-term project. One of the immediate priorities is to find a technical director.

Cryuff will discuss the selection of a technical director with PSSI and the coaching team, but he already has specific criteria. "It must be someone experienced in different countries and cultures, able to collaborate with national team coaches at all age levels. (Their task is) to establish the right structure for daily operations as well as the long term," he stated.

The son of Dutch legend Johan Cruyff is committed to a long-term vision. For him, achieving significant results requires more than just "a day." Similar to the vision of PSSI, his goal is to bring Indonesia to compete at the global level. Therefore, Cruyff will not leave his position anytime soon after being appointed as the technical director.

We will strive to identify talent as early as possible to build a better national team. We must work together. This is not a solo effort.

Cryuff's role will extend beyond mere performance on the field. He will be involved in determining short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies for the development of the national team. This is different from Kluivert and other coaching colleagues who focus on day-to-day development.

"The right strategy is crucial to maximize the very large population. We will strive to identify talent as early as possible to build a better national team. We must collaborate. This is not a solo effort. I will begin analyzing the culture and mentality of sports, as well as engaging in discussions with many parties," said Cryuff.

However, Cryuff did not rule out the possibility of being involved in the national team's training. The habit of knowing the condition of the team has been shown since at Barca. As a sports director, there is no obligation to observe training every day. However, he did it so that they would be more connected.

As the saying goes, experience doesn't lie. That experience also speaks volumes about Cruyff's career history. He has served as sporting director and coach in various countries. The former Manchester United player is used to working together and understands each other's roles in the team.

Cryuff's ability to collaborate was tested at Barca in 2021-2023. He started as a strategic advisor in his first season and became sporting director in his second. Cryuff, in a duet with head coach Xavi Hernandez, brought Barca their first La Liga title since the last season of 2018-2019.

According to the 51-year-old, the ability to collaborate well is created by habit. Since childhood, Cryuff has moved to many countries to follow his father's career. He had to quickly adapt to new environments and cultures, including understanding the characters of new people.

"The fact is that since I was little, I followed my father, moving from one country to another. That gave me the ability to adapt in a positive way. I can adapt quickly, learn quickly, analyze quickly. That helped me find the formula for success," he explained.

The character is attached to Cryuff. That's what made him never afraid to try new jobs in various parts of the world while being a player and after that. After retiring as a footballer, he had a career in China, Ecuador, and Malta.

Interestingly, Cryuff has a similar condition to many current diaspora national team players. He grew up in Spain because his father played five seasons for Barcelona. In fact, his first language is Spanish. Cryuff had the opportunity to defend the Spanish national team, but his heart chose the Netherlands because of his bloodline.

That's what makes him very supportive of the diaspora player program policy. As long as the player has bloodlines and chooses with his heart, everything is fine. "There are still many young players out there who want to defend the country of their parents or grandparents. I am one of the few players who defended the Netherlands, but never played in the Dutch League," he concluded.

PSSI Chairman Erick Thohir also attended the event. Previously, he said, Cryuff's main task is to help provide technical input to the team under the National Team Agency (BTN). Cryuff will also improve the grassroots coaching system to reformulate the philosophy of Indonesian football.

Beyond that, the connection between fellow Dutch citizens will facilitate communication between the coaching team and strategic advisors. The good relationship was shown by Cryuff and Kluivert after the event. They chatted "warmly" while waiting for the pick-up, then got into the car together.