The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) on Tuesday named Barcelona-born gaffer Rafa Merino Rodriguez as the new head coach of the World Cup-bound Philippine women’s national futsal team (women’s futsal NT).

Merino “holds a UEFA Pro License [Level 3] and an FA Level 1 in Football [England]. He also possesses expertise in sports coaching, earned at Florida Universitaria in Valencia, Spain,” PFF said in a statement.

“Merino has managed several first-division futsal clubs, including Pescados Rubén Burela FS and Barcelona’s Esportiu Rubí FS,” PFF added.

“I am honored to be appointed as the new head coach of the Philippine Women’s National Futsal Team. I look forward to working with these players to build a competitive, unified squad ready to excel in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers. We are focused on achieving success in the upcoming tournament,” said Merino.

“Rafa is a coach [in the] First Division Men’s and Women’s Futsal in Spain. And an appreciated summary of his credentials, he is the highest licensed futsal coach that has ever been involved in the Philippines. We’re in good hands,” commented PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez in a team send-off lunch in Studio 300 Makati.

To start its banner year 2025, where the Philippines will host the inaugural FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup, the women’s futsal NT will compete in the 2025 AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualifying tournament in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from January 11 to 19.

For this tournament, a team reinforced by the Philippine women’s national football team for said tournament was also unveiled by PFF.

They are women’s futsal NT holdovers Vrendelle Nuera, Cathy Graversen, Shai Del Campo, Sam Hughes, and Kayla Santiago; current Filipinas stalwarts Katrina Guillou, Isabella Flanigan, Sara Castañeda, Inday Tolentin, and Judy Connolly; Philippine Malditas standouts Shelah Mae Cadag and Maye Mendaño; Kaya FC striker Nicole Ramores; and Payatas FC/ FEU Womens Football Team ace Regine Rebosura.

Assisting Merino in a stellar coaching staff are Filipinas head coach Mark Torcaso, PFF’s Aris Bocalan and FEU Tamaraws Men’s Football Team coach Albert Besa.

The Philippines, ranked 59th in the world, is the third seed in Group C of its maiden Asian Cup qualification stint and is grouped together with host country and top seed Uzbekistan (18th), Turkmenistan (38th), Kuwait (61st), and Australia (unranked).

“I think the chemistry is perfect for now, I think all the team works together, there is a very good atmosphere, they show it every day, in the training, in the meetings, the commitment they have, every detail that I see in each training is always for the partner and for the partner, so I am super content and super proud of the attitude and the commitment they have,” Merino said, speaking through interpreter and women’s futsal NT player Flanigan.

“In regards to the [AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup qualifying] tournament and how it will be placed, I think obviously we have the same goal of running that tournament to qualify for the next one in China. And we don’t really look at the rankings because obviously that can cause extra pressure. So we just go out there and play how we play in the first place,” Merino told Fullcourtfresh.com.

For his part, Gutierrez assured: “Not to put pressure or add more weight on the girls and the coaching staff, we expect to win that group. We expect to win that group. We expect to qualify for the AFC Championship in China.”

PFF’s announcement came after a controversial row between the federation and former women’s futsal NT management backed by the Moran Foundation.

The controversy reportedly arose due to differences in training camp schedule, team composition, and management prerogative.

This resulted in the departure of erstwhile head coach Vic Hermans from the women’s futsal NT and his alleged “reassignment” to the men’s futsal NT.

Several key NT players like Isabella Bandoja, Lanie Ortillo, Mykaella Abeto, Agot Danton, Althea Rebosura, Lyka Teves, and Jada Bicierro, to name a few, stayed with the Moran Foundation-backed team and attended its January 4 camp, skipping PFF’s training camp that started last December 26, 2024.

“The girls sacrificed years of commitment. We can’t let them down. We will fight for them,” said Moran Foundation chair and former women’s futsal NT manager Danny Moran in a BusinessMirror interview about the former national team.

“We remain committed to nurturing the futsal players who have dedicated immense sacrifice and effort to their growth and future. These players are true patriots and they will not only represent our nation with pride but will also inspire countless grassroots children as role models,” Moran explained.

Gutierrez said that PFF will respond to the row after the Asian Cup qualifiers.

“I promise you, I promise everyone… When the girls come back from Uzbekistan, I will personally give each and every one of you a sit-down, one-on-one, and I will answer any questions you might have with regards to anything futsal,” Gutierrez said.

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Note: This is a press release from the Philippine Football Federation