Gerard Jones’ future as Bangladesh Under-20 coach remains uncertain after reports emerged on Tuesday that the Bangladesh Football Federation had dismissed him following an incident involving assistant coach Atiqur Rahman Mishu.
The BFF has not officially confirmed Jones’ dismissal, while the English coach has rejected the reports as false.
The incident took place on Monday at the team hotel, where Jones and Mishu reportedly had a heated argument that escalated into a physical confrontation. Jones later called the national emergency service 999 and sought police assistance, bringing the matter to the federation’s attention.
The BFF’s Development Committee has since launched an investigation and is expected to take disciplinary action after examining the incident. However, no decision on Jones’ future has been announced.
As reports of his dismissal spread on social media, Jones posted a video on Facebook denying that he had been sacked.
“I have not been told anything by the federation about being dismissed. I do not know where this information is coming from either,” Jones said. “Why would anyone post false or incorrect information and try to disrupt the harmony of the team?”
BFF technical committee chairman Kamrul Hasan said the federation would take action over the incident but urged caution over reports circulating on social media.
“Fifty per cent of what is being circulated on social media is true, while 50 per cent is false. An incident did take place, and in that situation discipline has been breached. From that standpoint, the Bangladesh Football Federation will certainly take action on the matter,” Kamrul told the media at BFF House.
The conflicting statements have left Jones’ immediate future unclear. TIMES Sports contacted him for comment, but he did not respond.
Bangladesh are scheduled to leave for Uzbekistan on August 27 for the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup qualifiers, which begin on August 31. The BFF is yet to clarify whether Jones will travel with the squad.
