Coach Patrick Kluivert is preparing to debut as Indonesia national team coach - Photo: CNN
A few days ago, Indonesia announced a list of 29 names that could be called up for the upcoming 3rd qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup (not yet finalized because there are still a few naturalized players who have not completed the procedure).
Not all of that squad are naturalized players. There are at least eight players on this list who are natives, including mainstays Rizky Ridho, Pratama Arhan, Ricky Kambuaya...
Therefore, the Indonesian team will face a difficult problem related to fasting during the Muslim month of Ramadan. Nearly 90% of Indonesians are Muslims, always strictly following the fasting regulations of Ramadan.
A few days ago, coach Patrick Kluivert expressed concern about many Indonesian players being vegetarian.
Tempo quoted the former Dutch player : "We need to take good care of the players who fast during Ramadan. Nutrition is very important.
As everyone knows, we are only together for a short time to prepare for two matches. The players have to be equipped with the best, in terms of nutrition, in terms of what their bodies can absorb, before and after the match. Everything has to be coordinated properly."
Muslim fasting - simply defined as abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset each day - poses a real physical barrier for many footballers.
The fact that Mohamed Salah - one of the best stars in top football - has lost his form in the past 2 weeks shows the challenges of being a vegetarian.
And following the wishes of coach Patrick Kluivert, the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) has recently completed all procedures to provide the new captain with the necessary experts.
Mr. Echteld (left) has a close relationship with coach Kluivert (lying) - Photo: TVONEWS
They are 6 experts from the Netherlands, including 3 people in charge of physical fitness: Quentin Jacoba, Leo Echteld, Chesley ten Oever, and 3 others in charge of technical skills: Jordy Kluitenberg, Bram Verbruggen, Regi Blinker.
Among them, Mr. Echteld is the leading expert in the field of fitness in the Netherlands. He has worked for the Dutch national team, Ajax Club, and was once invited to be a personal expert for superstar Paul Pogba.
Mr. Echteld has more than 20 years of experience in this field. He was also always attached to the famous generation of players in the early 2000s of Dutch football, including Davids, Kluivert, Seedorf, Stam...
Indonesia will play their first match of this call-up on March 20, against the Australian team. Since the match will take place at 8pm (local time), the Indonesian players who follow the vegetarian diet will have some time before the match to recharge their batteries.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-kluivert-nho-thay-cu-giai-bai-toan-nhin-an-cua-cau-thu-indonesia-20250318094312803.htm
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