Indonesian fans are expressing great regret over parting ways with Coach Shin Taeyong (55). Even just before he left Indonesia, hundreds of supporters were spotted following him.
Indonesian media Bolanet reported on the 27th (Korean time), “Coach Shin has returned to his home country, South Korea,” and “On the evening of the 26th, Coach Shin headed to Korea via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang. Hundreds of supporters gathered to see him off.”
The media continued, “Coach Shin and his coaching staff are all set to leave for their respective activities. One of Coach Shin’s staff members, Yoo Jaehoon, who lives in Bali will also return to Korea.”
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) unexpectedly dismissed Coach Shin earlier this month. Despite leading Indonesia to its first-ever World Cup third qualification round, Coach Shin was surprisingly dismissed. According to Vietnamese media VN, Coach Shin was also quite surprised by PSSI’s decision. He told Indonesian media, “PSSI announced my dismissal at 9:40 AM. By noon, they announced my successor (Patrick Kluivert). This decision is very unreasonable, but I will accept it.”
It seems like five years of his dedication is going to waste now. Coach Shin took over Indonesia at the end of 2019 and led both the U-23 national team and the senior national team. In the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, he led the team to an unexpected fourth-place finish.
Under Coach Shin, the Indonesian senior national team achieved second place in the 2020 AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup and reached the semifinals in the 2022 tournament. Additionally, under his leadership, Indonesia made history by advancing to the round of 16 in the 2023 AFC Qatar Asian Cup.
The decision was made by PSSI President Erick Thohir. According to Indonesian media VOI, Thohir explained that “Indonesian football is aiming for greater heights” as the reason for dismissing Coach Shin and appointing Kluivert.
PSSI remained disrespectful until the end. According to Indonesian media Bolasport, Yoo Jaehoon shared in an interview after meeting with the Minister of Sports, “I received a souvenir from the Minister before leaving for the airport. PSSI didn’t give me any souvenirs.”
