The Argentine, who was accompanied by three fellow footballers, also expects that the trio will fulfil the popular club's dreams to bring the inaugural Professional Football League title home and put an end to the sky-blues' miserable five-year run without a major trophy.

After being 13 months at the helm of the national team, Cruciani's parting shot with Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in last September was bitter as he was given a raw deal by the governing body of the game, which did not pay his last month's salary. The BFF used the money to pay the fine imposed on the Argentine by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for assaulting an Indian referee in December 2005 during an Asian Cup pre-qualifying match against Pakistan in Dhaka.

"I've had my differences with the BFF officials but I have sweet memories of my previous stay too. I have no hard feelings about what happened in the past," the 43-year-old told reporters in his lavishly furnished room at the Abahani tent.

"Abahani have put a big effort this season by building a strong team and bringing me. I will dedicate myself to serve their purpose. All my concentration would be on how I can lead them to championship," he said.

Cruciani, the three booters and their manager had to spend four days in a very cold and damp London after missing their connecting flight due to a train delay on their way to Heathrow from Gatwick airport.

There were also some visa problems before boarding the Dhaka bound aircraft but authorities here acted timely to ease the remaining of a gruelling journey.

While the tired players straight went to bed, Cruciani whose style had won the heart of the football fans highly spoke of his boys.

"They are superior players compared to the locals. I believe they will fill the lacks Abahani have." The three players -- central defender Marino Carlos Caporale, attacking midfielder Marino Cesar Sanchez and striker Hector Hernando Parodi -- have experience of playing in the Americas and Europe.

"Caporale is a born leader who loves to control the game from the back. He is also good in the air. Sanchez will be the free midfielder and he is very skilled when moving the ball is necessary.

"But my bet would be on Parodi, who is an intelligent striker with rich background. He played for first division side Racing -- one of the big five in Argentina -- in 2004 and also played in France and Costa Rica. He returned to Buenos Aires last year but had to play in second division where he has scored 21 goals. Before coming here. He scored a hattrick in a friendly game," informed Cruciani.

Caporale was last playing in Mexico while Sanchez in Italy.

"I was told to bring three because bringing more would mean dropping good local players. Still, if I think we need more, we will see to that."

He added that a promise made to Abahani official Ashrafuddin Chunnu that he will join them, brought him back to Bangladesh. "I kept that promise and I also missed the country during the last five months."

Cruciani was involved in his own business in recently but said he has signed a contract with a Georgian first division club based in Tblisi where he will join his guru Cayetano Rodriguez.

When asked whether transformation from the national team to club was a challenge, Cruciani replied: "I have nothing to prove to the BFF. All I have to do is work for my team. I have just over two weeks to prepare Abahani but the advantage is that I know most of the players and they also know what I would want for them. I think the Argentines would be able to build a rapport with them quickly."

He led Bangladesh to finish runners-up in the SAFF Championship in Karachi, which was followed up by a 1-0 away win over Pakistan that earned the country a place in the 2007 Asian Cup qualifiers. The Argentine, however, was barred from sitting in the bench in the rest of the tournament due to his attack on a referee. His last assignment was in Colombo, where Bangladesh failed to pass the group stage in the South Asian Games.

Cruciani would the sixth foreigner to have coached both national team and local club after Iranian World Cupper Nasser Hejazi (Mohammedan), South Korea's Man Young Kang (Muktijoddha and Mohammedan), Iraqi World Cupper Samir Shakir (Abahani and Mohammedan) and Austrian George Kottan (Muktijoddha).