National team coach Lodewijk de Kruif and his assistant Rene Koster met with Bangladesh Football Federation president Kazi Salahuddin at his Gulshan residence on Friday and expressed their disappointment at the BFF’s failure to support them in the implementation of their plans. BFF vice-president Tabith Awal was also present at the meeting.Salahuddin admitted that the BFF was experiencing a financial crisis and asked the Dutch coaches to be patient until the completion of the next parliamentary election.
‘What [the coaches] wanted to say to us, in general, is that there is a need to develop football across the country, but right now we have financial limitations and the reality is that there are no funds at the moment,’ Salahuddin said after the meeting.
‘We need more money to conduct the programmes we already have, but at the moment we have a financial crisis.’
Both coaches have been away from the pitch since the middle of October, after the completion of the qualifying round of the AFC U-19 Championship in Iraq. They had prepared plans for the national team but could not implement them due to financial constraints.
The BFF has also yet to pay the coaches their salaries for the last two months.
‘They asked us to be patient till the first of February, following the political situation, and then they can finance again and continue the programme,’ said De Kruif.
‘We have some outstanding bills to them and they have to pay it because we have a strong FIFA contract and they told us that they will honour it.’
‘They told us that they will try to provide some of them because we have to pay bills; going to the supermarket, taking kids to the schools.’
Tabith said that the BFF had guaranteed the coaches that their contracts would be honoured and that there was nothing to be worried about.
Tabith also said that they have planned to arrange at least six international friendlies for the national team from January to June.
Today’s events
DPL Super League
Gazi Tank Cricketers v Sheikh Jamal DC at Fatullah stadium
Prime Doleshwar SC v Mohammedan Sporting Club at SBNS
Prime Bank CC v Kalabagan CA at BKSP-2
Federation Cup
Uttar Baridhara Club v Soccer Club Feni at 3:45pm, BNS
Rahamatganj MFS v Mohammedan SC at 6:00pm, BNS
-With New Age input
