Indonesian Futsal Coach Condemns “Sickening” Violence in AFF Cup Finals
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Indonesia’s national futsal team coach, Hector Souto, has publicly denounced the aggressive play exhibited by Thailand during the recent AFF U-16 and U-19 Futsal Cup finals, calling the level of violence “sickening” and criticizing the officiating. The controversy erupted following the December 29th matches in Bangkok, where Indonesia secured a 4-3 victory in the U-16 championship but fell to Thailand 1-3 in the U-19 competition.
Contentious U-16 Victory Sparks Outrage
The spotlight intensified after Indonesia’s hard-fought U-16 win, with reports emerging of repeated violations committed against Indonesian players by their Thai counterparts. Online, observers likened the matches to mixed martial arts competitions like UFC or Muay Thai, highlighting the physicality of the play. This aggressive style drew immediate criticism from both fans and, ultimately, the Indonesian coaching staff.
Coach Souto Voices Disgust and Calls for FIFA Intervention
Hector Souto, the Indonesian National Futsal Team coach, took to social media to express his dismay. He described the actions of the Thai team as “disgusting” and lamented the perceived inability of the FIFA referees to maintain control of the matches.
“Sorry. The level of violent play and acts of violence that were allowed to occur in the AFF U19 and U16 tournaments is truly sickening,” Souto wrote in a post that he shared with accounts belonging to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), ASEAN Futsal, and ASEAN Football. He concluded his statement with a pointed critique of the officiating: “It is very sad that the FIFA referee was unable to control and officiate this match.”
Calls for Respect and Fair Play
Souto’s post was accompanied by the hashtags #respect and #fairplay, underscoring his desire for a more sportsmanlike environment in future competitions. The coach’s strong words reflect growing concerns about the potential for escalating aggression in youth futsal tournaments and the need for stricter enforcement of rules to protect player safety.
https://www.instagram.com/souto.h/
The incident raises important questions about the responsibility of governing bodies to ensure fair play and protect athletes from unnecessary harm, particularly at the youth level.
