Well, that is a thing for many young players of course. See for instance the Moroccan or Turkish youth in Western Europe. Many had to make a choice whether they would play for their country of origin or their āhomeā country as Getmany, The Netherlands, France, ā¦ itās not only about national pride and probably more about personal growth and even international visibility (=money).
But still, itās not completely comparable. Thereās something different about youngsters whose parents left a country but still have the citizenship and visit once per year and are culturally more attached and get brides there, and the ātypicalā Indoās. Who are mixed and as 3rd generation very western, who donāt speak BI besides some old fashioned malayan words, who have a different religion from the majority of RI and whose grandparents were forced to flee the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia much longer ago and who were seen as traitors.
Obviously thatās all between the ears; nobody in RI would accuse a football player of the colonial actions and misdoings. Theyāre even proud of the āIndonesian backgroundā. Someone like Van Persie is a real hero here.
View attachment 2667
Rafaƫl Struijk already made a choice to play for Indonesia.