Thomas Dooley says Bangladesh are searching for another European opponent after winning his debut match as head coach, a 2-1 victory over San Marino in Serravalle on Friday. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Dooley said the sight of thousands of Bangladeshi supporters filling the away end convinced him the team needs to return to Europe.
“This love is what motivates us to come back again and again,” he said. “We are looking for another opponent so we can come back to Europe and play again. Because the experience here was quite something. We will win, we will definitely win. We fight for them, we do everything we can.”
Dooley said around 4,000 Bangladesh supporters travelled from across Europe to watch the match, including fans who made the journey from Paris. Before kick-off, he used their presence to motivate his players.
“Supporters came here from Paris to watch this,” he said. “Before the game we told the players, look boys, nearly 4,000 people from across Europe have come here just to watch you. Let’s put smiles on their faces. Let’s play for them and get a good result so they can go home happy.”
The coach said the passion he encountered in Bangladesh before the squad departed for San Marino had already left an impression. Around 200 people gathered at the airport with cameras to send the team off.
“The frenzy I saw in Bangladesh was unbelievable,” he said. “When we left the stadium for the airport, after getting off the bus, around 200 people were there with cameras, filming us, taking photos of the team. Truly incredible.”
Dooley put the depth of support down to a population that follows the game closely and rewards any sign of progress.
“We have hundreds of millions of supporters in Bangladesh, and they all understand football. Every one of them is a coach,” he said. “All they need for that passion is a little bit of success. This win is for the supporters, and that is what I love most.”
He closed with a clear-eyed assessment of where Bangladesh stand in world football, while pointing to Friday’s result as a foundation to build on.
“We are not Germany or Italy, although Italy didn’t even qualify,” he said. “We are not among the best teams in the world. But with what we have, we try to make these people happy. I think this is a great start.”
