Day out, Bruzon in for next three events

Bangladesh Football Federation on Friday made a decision to appoint Spanish coach Oscar Bruzon as the national team’s interim coach after relieving Jamie Day of his duties for the next two months. handing the mastermind behind the Bashundhara Kings’ domestic dominance the task of guiding Bangladesh in the upcoming SAFF Championship.
The federation was unhappy with the team’s recent performance under Day and was particularly displeased by the Englishman’s continuous experimentations with the team in the Three-Nation Cup in Kyrgyzstan earlier this month after another tri-nation tournament in Nepal in March.
It was inevitable that Day would be replaced ahead of the regional football extravaganza — scheduled to begin in Maldives from October 1 — after BFF president Kazi Salahuddin told an executive committee meeting on Thursday’s about a possible change of head coach in the coming days. But the National Teams
Committee (NTC) acted fast, finalising the decision the following day.
‘After discussions in the meeting today [Friday], we unanimously decided to relieve national team head coach Jamie Day for the next two months and also for the next three tournaments,’ BFF national team committee chairman Kazi Nabil Ahmed told the media after the meeting.
We discussed it with Jamie Day and were unsatisfied by his explanations. We also discussed it with the BFF president and discussed the matter at today’s [Friday’s] meeting, which decided to release Day of his duties from the national football team for the next three events over two months. Bashundhara Kings coach Oscar
Bruzon was appointed as interim coach.”
Brunzon has coached his side to two Bangladesh Premier League titles, as many Federation Cup titles and one Independence Cup title in the past three years. This season, the Kings finished second in Group D of the AFC Cup under his guidance. The Spaniard also has prior experiences coaching in Maldives and India.
“Over the past two years, Oscar has been the most successful coach in the domestic circuit and we were following his coaching methods. Besides, he has vast experience with the local players and good knowledge about opponents [in the SAFF Championship],” Nabil said. “Oscar will take charge on September 21 but will
pick a 35-member preliminary squad tomorrow to submit to the SAFF secretariat.”
Nabil, also Abahani’s acting director-in-charge, hoped the national team would reach the final of the five-team round-robin tournament under Bruzon’s guidance.
It is not the first time the BFF have removed the head coach ahead of a tournament.
“I think it’s a bit unprofessional that I find this (being replaced for the job) out through media.” -Jamie Day
Along with the SAFF Championship, Bruzon will oversee proceedings for the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers on October 22-30, before being in charge for a four-nation tournament in Sri Lanka in November.
However, Bruzon refused to make comments about his appointment as the national team coach as he is still coaching the Bangladesh Premier League leaders Kings and they have one match remaining in their successful campaign, where they have already ensured the league title.
‘I cannot comment about it right now. I am still the coach of Bashundhara Kings and we have a very important match on Monday [in BPL] and after that I can comment,’ said Bruzon.