Ketua Umum Federasi Futsal Indonesia (FFI) Michael Sianipar menyatakan kesepakatannya terhadap kritik pelatih Hector Souto mengenai perkembangan futsal nasional yang belum maksimal di seluruh tingkatan pada Sabtu (9/5/2026).
Dilansir dari Detik Sport, pernyataan ini muncul setelah Timnas futsal Indonesia mencetak sejarah dengan menembus peringkat ke-14 dunia dalam ranking FIFA, atau melonjak 10 peringkat dari posisi sebelumnya.
Michael Sianipar menilai pencapaian besar tersebut diraih saat kondisi infrastruktur pendukung di dalam negeri sebenarnya belum berada pada titik ideal untuk mendukung prestasi atlet.
"I am very happy with the opinion expressed by Coach Hector on Instagram. That this achievement was made even in our far from ideal conditions," kata Michael Sianipar, Ketua Umum FFI.
Pimpinan federasi tersebut mengakui adanya kekurangan signifikan pada ketersediaan sarana prasarana serta kuantitas tenaga pelatih yang memiliki kualifikasi resmi di berbagai daerah.
"Speaking of futsal court facilities across Indonesia, there are still many things that do not meet standards. Then the need for our coaches who have certification and qualifications is still insufficient," lanjut Michael.
Menurutnya, perbaikan menyeluruh pada aspek-aspek mendasar tersebut dapat membuka peluang bagi Indonesia untuk menembus jajaran sepuluh besar dunia dan berlaga di kompetisi global tertinggi.
"This means that in less than ideal conditions, we have already reached 14th in the world. Especially if these things can be fixed. If they can be improved, I am even optimistic we can reach the top 10 in the world, and certainly enter the World Cup," papar Michael.
Pihak federasi menekankan pentingnya komitmen kolektif untuk melakukan evaluasi mandiri guna mendorong peningkatan performa olahraga futsal yang lebih berkelanjutan.
"But we must also realize that we can do more. More than this. As long as we all want to improve," tegas Michael.
Ketimpangan kualitas kompetisi juga menjadi perhatian serius bagi FFI, terutama terkait ketersediaan liga yang kompetitif di berbagai level usia dan wilayah.
"Yes, this is part of the process. The process we are carrying out together with Coach Hector as our technical director. So, what Coach Hector said is actually self-criticism. Because Coach Hector is also part of the federation. The Head Coach also serves as the Technical Director," ujar Michael.
Michael mengungkapkan bahwa tim kepelatihan telah melakukan peninjauan langsung ke berbagai wilayah pelosok Indonesia untuk melihat realitas perkembangan futsal di lapangan.
"So, that is the result of his observations after traveling all the way to Papua. Yesterday, the entire coaching team from the Technical Director's team went to the tip of Sumatra, the tip of Papua, and the reality is that Indonesian futsal is still unequal. There are still many empty spaces, which we are actually trying to fill. One by one," jelas Michael.
Keberadaan liga level dua yang baru dibentuk musim ini dipandang sebagai langkah awal yang positif dalam membangun struktur kompetisi yang lebih stabil bagi para pemain muda.
"That is an extraordinary thing. However, imagine if our PFL-2 (Pro Futsal League) is already stable. Then, even below that, there is also something we are planning, namely the AFF U20 Cup," ungkap Michael.
FFI saat ini tengah merancang program pembinaan berjenjang yang dimulai dari kategori usia di tingkat regional hingga nasional guna memastikan regenerasi pemain terus berjalan.
"Later, there will be U18, U16, in stages. From regional to national levels. This is homework that may still take time, but in the next 2-5 years, we can only realize it all. If we are serious, we can move up a class," pungkas Michael.
