Canada manager who was ‘admonished’ over Olympic scandal lands new international job

Indonesia have confirmed the appointment of John Herdman as their new head coach.

Herdman replaces Netherlands legend Patrick Kluivert, who left his role in October following a string of disappointing results.

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Kluivert sparked widespread anger prior to his exit as the 49-year-old, along with his assistants, departed the country for Holland without apologising for Indonesia’s poor form.

Herdman has since put pen to paper on an initial two-year contract that’ll run until 2028, which includes an option to extend his stay until 2030.

Under the deal, Herdman will remain in charge of the Indonesia senior and Under-23 team at least until the end of PSSI president Erik Thohir’s term in 2027.

The 50-year-old also has a mandate to develop and integrate young talent into the senior squad.

Honduras had also been linked with Herdman, who’d been out of work since leaving his role as Toronto FC head coach in 2024.

Herdman rose to prominence for his role as head coach of both the women’s and men’s Canada national team.

The England-born boss guided the Canada women’s team to the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup, where they were eventually eliminated by England.

Herdman then led the men’s team to their first World Cup in 36 years after beating Jamaica to progress to Qatar 2022.

In the process, Herdman became the first manager to lead both the women’s and a men’s teams of a nation to qualify for a World Cup.

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However, despite Herdman’s success as Canada head coach, he left his role with the Canucks in October 2023 to take over as MLS side Toronto FC.

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Herdman has subsequently named in an investigation that centred around the use of illegal drones to spy on the opposition ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The investigation concluded that Herdman warranted a letter of admonishment for his role in the drone scandal.

While then-women’s national team coach Bev Priestman was banned for a year for her role in the incident by football’s governing body FIFA, disciplinary proceedings were launched against Herdman.

“Mr Herdman was found to have committed misconduct under the Canada Soccer Disciplinary Code. The committee determined the appropriate sanction was a letter of admonishment,” a statement from Canada Soccer read.

Herdman defended his actions and behaviour

Herdman, meanwhile, released a statement of his own following the findings of the investigation, stating: “I acknowledge the Disciplinary Committee’s decision, which concluded with an admonishment, without suspension or fine, and brings this matter to a close.

“I want to express my profound appreciation to the players and staff who stood by me during this process.

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“Your willingness to come forward and defend the culture we built together has been invaluable.

“We created a team united by respect and shared values, and I am thankful for your support.

“Throughout my career, I have led with integrity, transparency, and a deep respect for the game. That has not changed.

“I co-operated throughout the process, including a complete and transparent presentation to the Disciplinary Committee.

“Although this has been an incredibly challenging period, I remain proud of my time with Canada Soccer and what we achieved together.

“I look forward to continuing my journey in the game. I remain focused on my passion – coaching, mentoring, and helping teams reach their full potential.”