Dutch influence in Bangladesh football is gradually increasing as two Dutch coaches and several Dutch players are in line to serve Abahani Limited in the upcoming season.
Four Dutchmen are currently employed by the Bangladesh Football Federation for the national side – head coach Lodewijk de Kruif, assistant coach Rene Koster, goalkeeping coach Kees Cornelius Kalk and fitness trainer Mohammet Yamali.
The Sky Blue outfit is interested in recruiting a coach and some footballers from the Netherlands for the upcoming domestic season, said a top official of Abahani.
The Dhanmondi-based team will begin their pre-season training camp from the first week of September and they are hopeful that they will bring in a foreign coach before the foreign players’ trial in late September.
‘We already have the bio-data of three foreign coaches including two from the Netherlands but we are not satisfied with those bio-data,’ said Kazi Nabil Ahmed, director of Abahani Limited.
‘We have contacted two more European coaches and hopefully they will send their bio-data as soon as possible,’ he added.
Abahani failed to secure any silverware last season in the four tournaments that they played in. The club had to be content with third place in the sixth edition of the domestic football league.
After the conclusion of last season, top officials of Abahani were seriously thinking about roping in a top-level coach and some players for the upcoming season.
‘In the last week of September, four-five Dutch players will arrive for trials. Some new faces hailing from the African region will take part in the trial along with our old recruits,’ said Nabil.
‘We are hopeful that we will recruit a foreign coach who will replace the previous one, Iranian Ardeshir Pournemat before the foreign players’ trial,’ he said.
Nabil confirmed that they will not bring in any Asian coach for the next season as they are disappointed with the previous coach Pournemat, who failed to attain a single trophy.
Pournemat guided Abahani in the Federation Cup, the domestic football league,
the Independence Cup, the Super Cup and the qualification round of the AFC President’s Cup but failed to clinch any silverware.
‘It is certain that we not going after any Asian coach this time. We are looking forward to roping in a quality foreign coach from Europe before the trial of the foreign players,’ said Nabil.
Before finalising the foreign coach, the local players of Abahani will start their preparation under veteran coach Amalesh Sen.
-With New Age input
