Giovanni van Bronckhorst among candidates being considered for Indonesia job

Liverpool assistant Giovanni van Bronckhorst is reportedly among the candidates being considered for the Indonesia national team head coach role, just five months after arriving at Anfield.

Van Bronckhorst joined Arne Slot’s backroom staff at the start of July, replacing John Heitinga after his move to Ajax.

However, the 50-year-old is now said to be in contention for the Indonesia job following Patrick Kluivert’s departure.

The latest links come via English outlet Football Insider, though speculation in Indonesia has been ongoing for months.

Back in January, the Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian FA (PSSI) hoped to appoint a Dutch head coach, given the large number of Indonesian internationals who grew up in the Netherlands.

At the time, Kluivert, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Louis van Gaal were all named as candidates, with PSSI chairman Erick Thohir stressing the importance of hiring someone who could communicate with the players in a shared language.

Kluivert was appointed shortly after but left the role last month after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

With PSSI now searching for a new coach, Van Bronckhorst’s name has resurfaced and there are even suggestions that Liverpool would not block his departure if he wished to take the job.

Van Bronckhorst was born in the Netherlands to Indonesian and Moluccan parents, while the current Indonesia squad includes 16 Dutch-born players, along with others born in Spain and Belgium.

Interestingly, Heitinga also has Indonesian heritage and qualifies through his paternal grandparents.

His appointment at Liverpool earlier this year raised eyebrows given his experience as a head coach with Feyenoord, Guangzhou R&F, Rangers and Besiktas.

His arrival formed part of a significant backroom restructuring prompted by several high-profile exits, including Heitinga’s move to Ajax and the departures of goalkeeping coaches Fabian Otte and Claudio Taffarel.

Those changes took place in the off-season, but a potential exit for Van Bronckhorst would force another reshuffle at a turbulent point in Liverpool’s season.

Some will note that Heitinga, now out of work following his dismissal by Ajax, could be a natural candidate to return to Anfield if Van Bronckhorst leaves, though whether he would be open to that remains unclear.

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