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Coach Shin Tae-yong has dismissed allegations that he manipulated public opinion following his departure from the Indonesian national team.
Shin departed Indonesia for South Korea on Jan. 26, three weeks after being replaced by Patrick Kluivert in the national team. Hundreds of fans gathered at Soekarno-Hatta Airport to bid farewell, holding banners and chanting in his honor.
Recent accusations claim that Shin used fake social media accounts to manipulate public opinion in his favor. Two organizations, Football Institute (FI) and Drone Emprit (DE) alleged that automated bot networks amplified the hashtag #STYstay to generate support for the South Korean coach after his sacking.
FI founder Budi Setiawan stated that research confirmed bot activity in promoting #STYstay, which he believes caused division in Indonesian football. "Even though the situation has been explained, many people continued to stir controversy so that the problem would continue," Budi told VOI on Jan. 30.
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Shin Tae-yong as Indonesia head coach at the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo by AFC |
DE's analyst, Slovenia Istiani, put discussions surrounding Shin’s dismissal into three groups: supporters, opposers and neutral observers. She noted that content with hashtag #STYstay are popular on platforms like X and Instagram, and were frequently reposted by fake accounts.
On Feb. 1, Shin responded via Instagram, posting a statement in both Korean and Indonesian denying the claims.
"I want to confirm that these allegations are false," he wrote. "If such misinformation continues, I will not stop at a warning."
He continued: "To those spreading fake news, is your goal to destroy everything I’ve built with Indonesian football? What good does this do for the football scene?"
Shin is a prominent figure in South Korean football, having led Seongnam FC to the 2010 AFC Champions League title and the 2011 South Korean FA Cup. He later managed South Korea at various levels, guiding the U23 team to the quarterfinals of the 2016 Rio Olympics and securing an impressive 2-0 victory over defending champions Germany with the national team at the 2018 World Cup.
After taking charge of Indonesia, Shin has reached historic achievements, including advancing past the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup, reaching the 2024 U23 Asian Cup semifinals, and leading the team into the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers. His impact has drawn comparisons to his compatriot Park Hang-seo, who achieved great success with Vietnamese football between 2018 and 2023.
The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) insisted that failing to progress past the group stage of the 2024 ASEAN Cup was not the primary reason for Shin’s departure. Instead, they cite conflicts with players during the 1-2 loss to China in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in October 2024 as a key factor. While PSSI initially considered an immediate dismissal, they postponed the decision to avoid disrupting upcoming matches.
In an interview with Indonesian press on Jan. 15, Shin expressed confusion over his dismissal, revealing that PSSI president Erick Thohir had finalized an agreement with Kluivert just hours after terminating his contract.
Despite his exit, Shin remains highly popular among Indonesian fans, with many calling for Kluivert’s removal even before his debut match with the national team. Shin stated that his family still resides in Bali and that he plans to return to Indonesia in the future.
