Just two days after the shock dismissal of Shin Tae-Yong, Netherlands legend Patrick Kluivert has been announced as the new coach of Indonesia.
PSSI, Indonesian football's governing body, confirmed the appointment on Wednesday afternoon, with Kluivert signing an initial two-year contract -- through to 2027 -- that has an extension option.
Kluivert, whose only previous head coach roles have been with Curaçao and Turkish outfit Adana Demirspor, will arrive in Indonesia on Saturday and will be unveiled the following day.
Former Premier League man Denny Landzaat has been named as one of Kluivert's assistants along with fellow Dutchman Alex Pastoor, while two yet-to-be-announced local coaches will also be part of his technical staff.
PSSI made ways at the start of the week with the shocking move to part ways with Shin, who had presided over their remarkable rise from the doldrums since taking charge at the end of 2019.
Indonesia, who were 173rd in the FIFA world rankings at the time of Shin's appointment, are now significantly higher in 127th, and are the only Southeast Asian outfit contending in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Shin also guided Indonesia to a first AFC Asian Cup appearance in 17 years at the start of last year, where they did well to reach the round of 16, and also won them a first Southeast Asian Games gold medal in over three decades.
However, it emerged in the wake of Shin's sacking that there had been friction between him and key PSSI decision makers, none more influential than chairman Erick Thohir -- the former owner of Serie A heavyweights Inter Milan.
With an ever-increasing number of foreign-born heritage imports that have been given Indonesian citizenship in recent years, many of whom hail from the Netherlands, there was immediately speculation that PSSI would turn to a Dutch tactician -- as has proven to be the case.
Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Kluivert's glorious playing career saw him with the UEFA Champions League with Ajax and he also boasted an impressive record of 122 goals in 257 matches during a six-year spell with LaLiga giants Barcelona.
He represented Netherlands at four major tournaments, including at the 1998 World Cup when they finished fourth, and remains his country's fourth highest scorer of all time with 40 goals from 79 caps.
Nonetheless, his experience as a manager has thus far been limited to a stint with CONCACAF underdogs Curaçao, while he lasted just five months at Adana Demispor after initially signing a two-year contract.
Kluivert will face a baptism of fire with his first game in charge of Indonesia being a World Cup qualifier against continental powerhouses Australia on March 20.
It is worth noting that, under Shin, Indonesia gained plaudits for holding the Socceroos to a 0-0 draw back in September, meaning there will immediately be a point of comparison for the nation's passionate supporter base.
The international window in March will also see Indonesia entertain Bahrain, where they will be looking to maintain their position inside the top four of Group C and keep alive their hopes of advancing to the next round of Asian qualifiers at the very least.