An Interview With Goran Melher

A new energy and sense of team unity have been evident in the performances of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national A futsal team since head coach Goran Melher took charge. 
 
 
Over the past nine months, the national futsal team has played several friendlies and recently two qualifying games for Euro 2026.
 
In an interview for the Football Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina's official website, head coach Goran Melher summarized the results, discussed the team, logistical support, and plans for the upcoming year.
"Honestly, when I took over as head coach, the situation wasn’t great. We were without a coach for a year, and certain things needed restructuring. During this period, we made significant progress in terms of organization, thanks to the support of president Vico Zeljković, special futsal coordinator Borislav Škarić, and the FFBiH’s administration. The plan I presented is slowly being implemented. There’s still a lot of work ahead because futsal is constantly evolving, but for now, I'm satisfied."
 
What did you learn from the friendlies compared to the qualifiers?
"Through ten friendlies and one selection camp, we went through 44 players. We saw a lot, and as I’ve said from day one, we have talented players. We lag in psychological and physical preparation, which we’ve been working on that from the start. These gatherings and tough matches were excellent indicators of the direction we need to take."
 
Can the current team meet all your demands?
"Yes and no, depending on the situation. We have an issue with training consistency in clubs, which is our biggest weakness. Still, a national team player must be a professional, with consistent and high-intensity training and be ready for national team games. Over three or four days of gathering, neither I nor the coaching staff can significantly improve the players' physical readiness. We need to strengthen clubs and raise the quality of the domestic league because we don’t have many professional futsal players competing abroad. If we have a strong league, we’ll have good players. This also raises other issues like coach expertise and how clubs operate. Some teams train only two to three times a week, while in Spain, they train eight to nine times – that’s a huge difference. Even small adjustments can significantly boost the quality of futsal in our country. With joint efforts from the FFBiH as well as clubs, I believe we can make progress to strengthen our futsal league and create a player base for future major competitions."
 
In the first qualifying round for Euro 2026, we achieved one win and one loss. How would you assess that performance?
"We emphasized from the start that we were favorites against England, and we confirmed that with the outcome. We didn’t allow any surprises and achieved what we aimed for. The situation with Spain was different. We played much better than the score suggests. Some goals were practically gifted to them; they scored from our mistakes. Overall, I'm pleased. We showed that we can compete at a high level against top teams. We didn’t retreat or play defensively to lose by two or three goals. I want us to build a system where we always aim to win and earn respect from opponents. In Spain, we even attacked and pressed at times, and I think we're on the right path. I enjoy working with these guys - the atmosphere is positive, and the energy is great. I can confidently say that these players weren’t here just to go through the motions. They trained hard, enjoyed futsal, and prepared to perform at the highest level during matches."
The goal is to finish in the top two spots – is that a realistic expectation?
"Our goal is to collect 12 points and reach the playoffs from second place. There, we’d hope for a favorable draw, but honestly, apart from four or five top teams, we can compete with anyone. Qualifying for the European Championship is our target. We play Switzerland at home on February 4, 2025, followed by two tough away duels in Switzerland and England. We’ll approach the games as favorites, and these matches are crucial if we want to qualify. I hope everyone stays healthy and that no other issues arise, making 12 points a realistic and achievable target."
 
How will you monitor players' form until the next qualifiers? 
"Players will already be in training as the domestic league resumes in January. About three rounds should be played before the next gathering, giving me a good insight into their form. The coaching staff and I will monitor around twenty candidates. Only Bilal Jelić will miss out due to yellow cards, however I expect Marijo Aladžić to return from injury."
 
You mentioned that over 40 players have passed through the national team. Which younger players have stood out, and were there any from whom you expected more?
"We’ve assessed many players. Most have justified the trust placed in them, but some prioritized tournaments over the national team. I understand that most clubs face financial challenges. However, I can't tolerate skipping call-ups for winter or other tournaments. The national team must be everyone's priority. Among young players, we have several talented ones. Since we lacked a transitional generation, my goal is to develop a team with an average age of 24-25 within the next two to three years. We’ve already introduced Miloš Radujković (21), and we're gradually involving Faruk Brkanić and Muanis Duvnjak. Edvin Bosnić debuted at 20 in Zenica. There’s potential, but their development depends heavily on club training, playing time, and overall environment."
 
Host Score
Guest
FK SARAJEVO 0 : 0 FK BORAC
14.02.2025. 18:00
FK SLOBODA TUZLA 0 : 1 FK IGMAN
15.02.2025. 13:00
FK RADNIK 2 : 1 HŠK POSUŠJE
15.02.2025. 16:00
NK GOŠK 1 : 2 NK ŠIROKI BRIJEG
16.02.2025. 13:00
FK SLOGA DOBOJ 0 : 0 FK VELEŽ
16.02.2025. 15:15
HŠK ZRINJSKI 1 : 0 FK ŽELJEZNIČAR
  Team P W D L Pnt
1 HŠK ZRINJSKI 18 15 2 1 47
2 FK BORAC 17 13 2 2 41
3 FK SARAJEVO 17 11 5 1 38
4 FK ŽELJEZNIČAR 18 11 2 5 35
5 NK ŠIROKI BRIJEG 18 7 4 7 25
6 FK RADNIK 18 8 1 9 25
7 FK VELEŽ 18 6 6 6 24
8 FK SLOGA DOBOJ 18 6 4 8 22
9 HŠK POSUŠJE 18 6 3 9 21
10 FK IGMAN 18 5 2 11 17
11 NK GOŠK 18 2 1 15 7
12 FK SLOBODA TUZLA 18 0 2 16 2
Host Score Guest
FK SLOBODA TUZLA --:-- FK RADNIK
FK IGMAN --:-- FK SLOGA DOBOJ
FK VELEŽ --:-- NK GOŠK
NK ŠIROKI BRIJEG --:-- HŠK ZRINJSKI
FK ŽELJEZNIČAR --:-- FK SARAJEVO
FK BORAC --:-- HŠK POSUŠJE

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