If you live in Bali and struggle to get to work during the day, imagine how it feels for the Indonesian national football players right now.
The national team is literally preparing on the beach these days for one of the most important matches against the Chinese. The Bali United training base, chosen by the Indonesian Football Association for pre-match gatherings, is located on the east coast of the island, near Keramas — just look at the views from the training fields. How can there be physical training and tactics in such a setting?
Nevertheless, the coaching staff and players are determined: the Indonesians have a realistic chance to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in history (the first was in 1938), which will take place next year in Canada, Mexico, and the USA. To avoid burnout before the match under the blazing Balinese sun, the coach of the Indonesian team, Patrick Kluivert (a former star of Barcelona and the Dutch national team), starts the workouts closer to sunset.
The sessions are closed to the public, and the media is allowed limited access — they have 15 minutes to work before training starts.
The PSSI (Indonesian Football Association) regularly selects the Bali United Training Center during the qualification cycle for the 2026 World Cup. Alexander Mahaputra, the press attaché of Bali United, reminded that the Indonesian team has already held training camps here three times, including the first round, when the team mostly consisted of players from the Balinese club.
Photo/kompas.id
“For Patrick Kluivert, it's the first time, but under coach Shin Tae-yong, the team has trained here several times,” said Alexander Mahaputra.
One of the reasons for holding the training camp at the Bali United Training Center is the international-standard lawn, say Indonesian football officials. Patrick Kluivert and the coaching staff arrived in Bali a week ago — before the players. The grass on the coast of the Indian Ocean appealed to the Dutchman.
The accommodation for the Indonesian team is also excellent. The players are staying in a five-star hotel, 6 kilometers from the Bali United base, in the Keramas beach area. Nearby is Bali Safari, by the way. Whether the team will have time to see the giraffes and lions is still unknown.
It must be said that Bali is far from exotic for many players of the national team. Tom Hay, Nathan Te A-On, Rafael Struick, Jay Idzes, Marcelino Ferdinand often spend their holidays here. Whether the footballers managed to not only relax on the paradise island but also work hard will become clear very soon.
On June 5, Indonesia will host China in Jakarta, and five days later, on June 10, 2025 — Japan.
At the moment, Indonesia ranks fourth in its qualifying group with 9 points, behind Japan (20), Australia (13), and Saudi Arabia (10). If the Indonesian team wins both of their remaining matches, they will have a decent chance of qualifying directly for the 2026 World Cup, without additional playoffs.
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