Dutch hero set for surprise return to management to take over world No.127

Kluivert has been out of work since he departed Turkish club Adana Demirspor in December 2023.

But according to Fabrizio Romano, Kluivert will become the next head coach of Indonesia and will be officially unveiled on January 12.

Romano reports Kluivert has signed an initial two-year deal with the option for a further two years, as the world No. 127 look to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Kluivert takes over after the PSSI, Indonesian football's governing body, made the surprise decision to sack Shin Tae-Young.

"We see the need for a leader who is better able to implement the strategies agreed upon by the players, and who has better communication," PSSI chairman Erick Thohir said.

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"Correspondence regarding the end of our relationship has been received [by Shin] and I would like to express my gratitude.

"We have also found a replacement, who will arrive on the 11th [of January]. A news conference will be held on the 12th."

Shin departs the role with Indonesia sitting third in Group C of the FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers.

Japan lies first in the group on 16 points while Australia is second on seven points, with Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and China are all tied on six.

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The top two teams in the group automatically qualify for the World Cup, which is to be jointly held by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

For the nations that come third and fourth, they will go to the fourth round of qualifying.

Nations are split into two groups of three, with the top-placed country qualifying for the World Cup and the second-placed team going to the fifth round of qualifying, which comprises a two-legged contest.

The winner of that advances to an inter-confederation play-off to seal a spot at the World Cup.

Kluivert's first game in charge is a daunting trip away to Australia, who have featured in every World Cup since 2006, on March 20.

The Indonesia role represents Kluivert's second on the international stage having spent a total of 14 games in charge of Curacao.

Kluivert first led the Dutch Caribbean island from March 2015 to June 2016, winning three of his eight games in charge.

The 48-year-old returned in June 2021 for a six-game caretaker stint but managed one win in that spell.

Kluivert landed his first senior managerial gig in July 2023 with Adana Demirspor and had the likes of Mario Balotelli and M'Baye Niang in the squad.

Adana Demirspor enjoyed a bright start to the 2023/24 Turkish Super Lig season, winning six of their opening ten league fixtures.

However, the early season form quickly deserted Kluivert's side.

The Turkish club brutally wielded the axe on Kluivert after a four-game winless streak on December 4 as a 3-2 loss to Samsunspor proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.