At the start of his term as head coach, Melher often emphasized that the goal he set for himself and the team was realistic and achievable. The first was to collect enough points to secure a playoff and then qualify for the final tournament of Europe’s best national teams. The second aim was to rejuvenate the team by scouting and integrating talented players into the senior setup.

It seems Goran Melher and his staff are working strategically and thoughtfully, and that the September playoff matches will be seriously and thoroughly prepared. With Bosnia and Herzegovina now knowing its opponent in the UEFA Futsal Euro 2026 playoffs, we asked him about the team’s plans, players and current activities.

"From the moment we learned who our opponent in the playoff is, we started analyzing and scouting Belgium," Melher begins. "It might seem like there’s plenty of time, but that period passes quickly and we can’t leave anything to chance. We’ll play in Belgium (Roosdaal – Brussels) on September 19, and the return leg will be on September 24 in Zenica. The plan and program are already prepared, though some modifications might happen depending on the situation. We plan to gather all candidates from August 9–13 at the Training Center in Zenica. What’s certain is that a very demanding and disciplined team awaits us. If we want to be at the EURO, we need to prepare well tactically and in terms of players, and we should also have proper logistics supporting us. Belgium isn’t to be underestimated; they’ve been investing heavily in their league and clubs in recent years. Their top club, Anderlecht, consistently ranks among the best eight teams in Europe, so we have to take them seriously. We’re not leaving anything to chance, and after assistant coach Mirsad Fazlinović stepped down, we strengthened the staff with former BiH national team captain Alen Lalić. Everything is simply focused on the playoff and qualifying for Euro 2026."

Are you keeping track of where the regulars and potential national team players are?

" Of course, we communicate daily, and I’m really happy that some players have made significant progress in their careers. Three of our national team players transferred to Croatian clubs – Kalajdžić went to Futsal Dinamo, Radujković to HMNK Vrgorac, and Todorić to MNK Pula – and we know their league is among the top 5–6 in Europe. In these two matches, the result will largely depend on the players’ readiness and form. Personally, what worries me most is that the BiH league starts only after the playoff, as do many other leagues. That means our players won’t be in competitive rhythm, while in Belgium, for example, three league rounds and a cup match will already have been played. I don’t want this to sound like an excuse, but September is a very tricky time for us – and in the past we’ve had the same problems. Sometimes it happened that players would come straight from vacation tournaments to play for the national team. The federation really did everything to approve the coaching staff’s proposal and to allow one training camp now in August, even though it’s not an official UEFA date."

The futsal Premier League season finale was exciting — did you follow it, and how would you rate the competition level?

"I did — MNK Bubamara showed the most quality this year, winning both trophies. As for the Premier League, in my opinion, it’s seeing slight growth, but the biggest problem still is club continuity and their internal operations. It still happens that clubs fold after a year or two, because there’s no systemic work or organization, just a desire for instant results. The only constant club is FC Mostar SG. I’m glad that ambitious clubs like HMNK Rama and KMF Brod joined the league. In the end, instead of KMF Radnik, we now have KMF Akademac Trebinje, a club that, along with Željezničar, invests the most in youth development – and without investing in young players, there’s no future."

So far, the futsal team’s only appearance at the EURO was in 2022 in the Netherlands. Can you, with this rejuvenated team, repeat Krezo’s success and build continuity in appearances on the European stage?

"I’m convinced we can. Continuity mostly depends on clubs and players themselves. To have continuity, we have to work hard both in clubs and the national team, because without tough matches and strategic, serious work, there’s no progress. We’re on the right track, because just last year the national team played 10 friendlies and had 5 camps, and improvement in the qualifiers was immediately noticeable. Our young players have shown they have the quality – now it’s up to them to work at their clubs, to develop, and that way the national team benefits. Our goal is to repeat the success of my predecessor Ivo Krezo, and I’m sure if we’re at a high level, we’ll achieve success and qualify for the Euro."