PALEMBANG – Sriwijaya FC’s first legendary goalkeeper, Ferry Rotinsulu, admitted that he was deeply saddened after his favourite national team, Italy, failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“My favourite team, Italy, did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup,” said the former Sriwijaya FC goalkeeping coach, Ferry Rotinsulu, on Tuesday (2 June 2026).

The Italian national team was officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after losing 1-4 in a penalty shootout against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final held on 31 March 2026.

Earlier, the match ended in a 1-1 draw during normal time. This result marked a dark chapter for the four-time world champions, as Italy missed out on the World Cup for the third consecutive edition (2018, 2022, and 2026).

Although his favourite team will not be competing, the man born in Palu on December 28, 1982 — widely recognised as one of Indonesia’s best goalkeepers and famously known as FR12 — seems to have moved on by supporting all the teams participating this year.

“For the 2026 World Cup, I’ll be cheering for all the teams,” said Ferry, who most recently rejoined Persipal Palu, the club from his hometown.

The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The tournament will be co-hosted by three nations: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

The complete list of 48 teams that have qualified for the final round is as follows:

Hosts: Canada, Mexico, United States

Asia Zone (AFC): Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Jordan.

Africa Zone (CAF): South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Cape Verde, and Tunisia.

North & Central America Zone (CONCACAF): Curacao, Haiti, and Panama (in addition to the hosts).

South America Zone (CONMEBOL): Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Europe Zone (UEFA): Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, England, Germany, Croatia, Netherlands, Norway, France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and Turkey.

Oceania Zone (OFC): New Zealand.

Ferry Rotinsulu’s name has long been familiar to Indonesian football fans, especially supporters of Sriwijaya FC.

After more than two decades in Indonesian football, Ferry has now entered a new chapter of his life, returning to his hometown to join Persipal Palu as a goalkeeping coach.

The living legend of Sriwijaya FC, Ferry Rotinsulu, officially ended his tenure with the club that made his name and chose to continue his career as a goalkeeping coach with Persipal Palu.

This decision marked his homecoming after decades of contributing to the national football scene.

Ferry, affectionately nicknamed FR12, was previously active in Sriwijaya FC’s youth development program, including managing the SFC U-20 EPA team.

He began his football journey in his hometown of Palu before gaining national recognition after joining Persijatim Solo FC, the predecessor of Sriwijaya FC.

When the club relocated to Palembang and was renamed, Ferry remained loyal and became an integral part of its golden era.

As Sriwijaya FC’s main goalkeeper, Ferry achieved remarkable success, winning three Indonesian League titles (2007, 2009, 2011) and three Copa Indonesia trophies.

He was known as a resilient goalkeeper with exceptional reflexes and a humble personality. The nickname FR12 became deeply associated with his loyalty and dedication to Sriwijaya FC.

Not only did he shine at the club level, but Ferry was also a regular member of the Indonesian national team during the 2000s.

He was part of the Garuda squad in various international competitions, including the 2007 AFC Asian Cup and several friendly matches against other Asian nations.

After retiring as a player, Ferry continued to contribute to Sriwijaya FC, particularly in the youth development sector.