Bangladesh’s next national football team head coach will be announced within two to three days, Youth and Sports Adviser Aminul Haque confirmed on 15 May, as the Bangladesh Football Federation continues to weigh up a shortlist of three candidates with former Wales manager Chris Coleman firmly at the front of the queue despite concerns over the cost of his appointment.
Aminul Haque made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the first division badminton league at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Indoor Stadium in Paltan, where he addressed the media following discussions with BFF president Tabith Awal the previous evening. “Since a shortlist of coaches has been prepared, I hope you will know the name of the new coach within the next two to three days,” he said.
The federation’s shortlist has been reduced to three candidates after a lengthy evaluation process involving more than 230 initial applications. Coleman, who led Wales to the UEFA Euro 2016 semi-finals and guided them from 117th to 8th in the FIFA world rankings, is the most widely discussed. The other two candidates are German coach Bernd Storck and American coach Thomas Dooley.
Coleman is keen to bring assistant coach Kit Symons with him to Bangladesh, a package that would cost the federation approximately 35,000 US dollars per month, equivalent to around Tk 4.3 million. Coleman’s salary alone would account for 26,000 US dollars of that figure. Under the current arrangement being discussed, the federation and the sports ministry would each cover half of the monthly cost, amounting to a potential annual outlay of close to Tk 30 million from the government alone.
The financial implications are being scrutinised carefully within football circles, not least because Bangladesh football continues to face significant infrastructural problems at club and district level, and questions are being raised about whether committing such a sum to a head coach is justifiable given those limitations. Storck and Dooley would both cost considerably less.
Aminul Haque acknowledged the tension directly but stopped short of ruling Coleman out. “We have limitations. Nothing can be changed overnight. Whoever comes as coach should be given adequate time. We are discussing every aspect. Please wait a little and you will know the desired outcome.”
He confirmed that discussions with the Finance Ministry are being planned to ensure the necessary funding can be secured if Coleman is appointed. “To implement our action plans, we need proper funding. I have spoken with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I hope the required budget for sports will be approved.”
The federation has been instructed to continue negotiations with Coleman, but if those talks do not reach a conclusion, Storck appears the most likely alternative. The 63-year-old German, who has managed the national teams of Hungary and Kazakhstan, represents a more financially manageable option while still bringing significant international coaching experience.
Aminul remained positive about the direction of the process. “It is important to fulfil people’s expectations surrounding football. The government, I and the football federation are all working towards meeting those expectations. After analysing every aspect, we will reach a decision within the next two to three days. We want someone under whose leadership football will progress and achieve the expected results.”
