Abahani search for a foreign coach
Three-time Bangladesh League champions Abahani once again want to bank on a foreign coach for the upcoming season as the Sky Blues are on the verge to rope in a foreign coach like the previous season.
Five coaches from four countries are in the shortlist for the position of head coach of the Dhanmondi outfit. Abahani had Iranian coach Ali Akbar at their helm last year, whose success was limited to guiding the club to the curtain-raiser Federation Cup and Bordoloi Cup triumph in India. Akbar himself is also keen on coaching the club he guided last season.
Meanwhile, Abahani have two of Akbar's compatriots in their shortlist which also includes one each from Brazil, England and Croatia.
“The demand of foreign coaches is very high and the range of their monthly wage is within 6000 to 12000 dollars. We are now analysing different aspects of bio-datas of those coaches.
“Everything will be finalised after the return of club's director Kazi Nabil Ahmed and we are expecting that a foreign coach will take charge in the first week of December,” said Abahani manager Sattyajit Das Rupu adding that he personally prefers to rope in either an Asian or a Brazilian coach.
Abahani started their camp last Sunday even though they are yet to complete formalities of the players' registration and Rupu believes three to four weeks are enough for a foreign coach to fine tune the squad.
“The new coach will have three to four weeks to work on with the players before the Federation Cup starts as the players are now in the physical training,” said Rupu, who has a B-license coaching certificate from Asian Football Federation.
A club must have at least an AFC B-licence coach in the professional football league which was renamed Bangladesh Premier League and Abahani's long-serving coach Amalesh Sen is expected to be deputy of the head foreign coach.
Top teams like Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad and Sheikh Russel KC have appointed local coaches Saiful Bari Tito, Shafiqul Islam Manik, Maruful Haq respectively while Brothers Union have appointed India's veteran coach Syed Naeemuddin.
Abahani's bitter rivals Mohammedan are expected to appoint Nigeria's Emeka Euzegio for the upcoming season.
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