Rumor Van Bronckhorst Candidate for New Indonesian National Team Coach, Van Gastel Speaks Out

Rumors about the new Indonesian national team coach candidate are heating up after the name Giovanni van Bronckhorst was mentioned as being on the candidate list. This news was also commented on by PSIM Yogyakarta coach, Jean-Paul van Gastel, who has previously worked with Van Bronckhorst at several European and Asian clubs.

“About Gio (van Bronckhorst-red), I saw a post on social media that he is indeed among the candidates,” said Van Gastel in a pre-match press conference for the BRI Super League 2025/2026 against Persija Jakarta at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Thursday, November 27, 2025.

Two Former Colleagues Now on Different Paths

Van Gastel and Van Bronckhorst are not strangers to each other. The two were together at Feyenoord, GZ R&F, and Besiktas, before Van Gastel began his new adventure with PSIM this season. 

At those three teams, Van Gastel was the assistant to Van Bronckhorst, who is now Liverpool assistant manager Arne Slot's assistant.

Most of the peak moments of their careers occurred at Feyenoord, between July 2011 and October 2019. 

The golden period for Van Gastel and Van Bronckhorst at Feyenoord was marked by five prestigious trophies: two Dutch Super Cups, two Dutch Cups, and one Dutch League title. 

They also won one additional trophy in Turkey, lifting the Turkish Super Cup with Besiktas in the 2024/2025 season.

Will Liverpool Release Him?

Although the rumors continue to circulate, Van Gastel is not sure the process will be easy. 

“Currently he works at Liverpool, so I don't know if it's realistic, whether he wants to, or whether they will release him. However, if you follow social media in Indonesia, there are many rumors and many names being mentioned,” he said.

However, he acknowledged one factor that makes this rumor seem plausible: Indonesian roots. 

“Looking at his background from Maluku, I can imagine that he is indeed one of the candidates (to coach the Indonesian national team),” said Van Gastel. 

Van Bronckhorst's mother, Fransien Sapulette, is a native woman from Maluku.

After Kluivert Leaves, National Team Coach Market Heats Up

The Indonesian national team coach position became vacant after PSSI released Patrick Kluivert following his failure to lead Garuda to the 2026 World Cup. Since then, rumors about Kluivert's replacement coach have continued to roll in, from both Asia and Europe. 

Besides Van Bronckhorst, other names mentioned include former Uzbekistan national team coach Timur Kapadze and former Iraq coach Jesus Casas.

Amid the intense speculation, Van Bronckhorst emerged as an experienced figure with an emotional connection to Indonesia and a history of leading teams to prestigious trophies. 

But the question remains the same: will Liverpool allow him to leave, and is he willing to take on the challenge of leading Garuda? (Antara)