Indonesian team sends out alarm signal, many naturalized players unemployed

(Dan Tri) - Indonesian media reported that at least 6 naturalized players of the Indonesian national team have become unemployed, not long after they returned from Europe to join the Indonesian team.

These players include centre-back Justin Hubner (Dutch origin), Jordi Amat (Spanish origin), left-back Shayne Pattynama (Netherlands), midfielder Thom Haye (Netherlands), Nathan Tjoe-A-On (Netherlands) and striker Rafael Struick (Netherlands).

It is noteworthy that before playing for the Indonesian national team, these players were still playing for professional football clubs abroad.

Midfielder Nathan Tjoe-A-On (22) is the latest naturalized Indonesian player to become unemployed (Photo: Reuters).

Another thing in common is that they were all present in matches against the Vietnamese team between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, within the framework of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia and the 2023 Asian Cup.

However, not long after leaving Europe to play for the Indonesian national team, the above players became unemployed. They could no longer find new teams to play for.

CNN Indonesia commented with concern: “The list of naturalized players who used to play for the Indonesian national team and are now unemployed is getting longer and longer. Currently, there are up to 6 naturalized players who do not have a club to play for.”

Indonesia will participate in the 4th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia in October (Photo: AFC).

“The latest to be left unemployed is midfielder Nathan Tjoe-A-On. He left Welsh club Swansea City on Wednesday (June 18). The club is in the English Premier League,” CNN Indonesia added.

The unemployment of a series of naturalized Indonesian players not only affects the above mentioned players, but also greatly affects the quality of the Indonesian team. This team is in the process of preparing for the 4th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia.

In the 4th qualifying round, Indonesia will face two of the 5 teams including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Iraq and Oman. These are all strong teams, so if the Indonesian players are not in good form, it will be difficult for them to overcome the above West Asian teams. The 4th qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia will take place from October 8 to October 14.

In addition, in the long run, if the above naturalized players cannot find a new club, or their new club is of lower quality than their old clubs, their professional ability and that of the Indonesian national team in the future may decline.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tuyen-indonesia-phat-tin-hieu-bao-dong-nhieu-cau-thu-nhap-tich-that-nghiep-20250619181959494.htm