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- PSSI is looking for a replacement for Patrick Kluivert after failing in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
- One strong candidate is Timur Kapadze, a coach from Uzbekistan.
- Kapadze is known to be close to Fabio Cannavaro, legend of Juventus and the Italian national team.
Suara.com – The search for a new coach for the Indonesian National Team began to deepen after Patrick Kluivert was officially released following his failure in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.
PSSI is now considering a number of names to occupy the hot seat for head coach of the Garuda squad.
Kluivert was expelled after the Indonesian national team was unable to penetrate the fifth qualifying round.
The public’s high hopes were dashed when Garuda narrowly lost 2-3 to Saudi Arabia, then fell again 0-1 to Iraq.
These two results stopped Indonesia’s progress in the fourth round of the Asian Zone.
From a list of candidates, Shin Tae-yong’s name has emerged again. The coach from South Korea is said to be willing to return to coaching the Indonesian National Team if PSSI shows seriousness.
Under his tutelage, Indonesia had a surprising performance and reached the fourth qualifying round.
However, it wasn’t just Shin who was on the radar. Another figure who is starting to be discussed is Timur Kapadze, a young coach from Uzbekistan.
Kapadze successfully brought his country to qualify for the 2026 World Cup through the third round before then returning to serve as assistant coach.
Also read: 4 names rumored to be Indonesian national team coaches, what are their achievements?
Interestingly, the position of head coach of the Uzbekistan national team is now filled by Fabio Cannavaro — Juventus legend and captain of the Italian national team when they won the 2006 World Cup.
Cannavaro has officially managed Uzbekistan since October 2025 and has taken charge of two international friendly matches: a 1-2 loss to Uruguay and a 2-0 win over Kuwait.
In these two matches, Transfermarkt noted that Kapadze served as Cannavaro’s assistant.
The closeness of the two makes the public think that this collaboration can continue until the 2026 World Cup.
The collaboration between Cannavaro and Kapadze is a special attraction for PSSI.
Connections with figures as big as Cannavaro could be an added value if Indonesia chooses Kapadze as the new coach.
