Kings join cancellation chorus
The majority of stakeholders of the Bangladesh Premier League have reached a consensus regarding the cancellation of the season, which has been suspended since March 16 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Although Bashundhara Kings and Abahani had initially been in favour of resuming the BPL, defending champions Bashundhara eventually joined the other clubs in not wanting to take part due to a worsening situation.
Representatives of all clubs had an online meeting on Monday, informed meeting coordinator and Chattogram Abahani football committee secretary Shakil Mahmud Chowdhury yesterday.
"The clubs discussed the current situation and the future of the league. They have all decided not to take part in the ongoing league as different experts predicted infection and deaths to peak in June-July in Bangladesh. So, resuming will put all of us at risk and increase the financial risk of the clubs. So, we want the BFF to cancel the 2019-2020 season," Shakil said.
He added that Chattogram Abahani have already sent their letter to the BFF on Monday, and the governing body acknowledged that they received letters from Bashundhara Kings and Saif SC too. The other clubs are supposed to send their opinions by today.
"It will take at least one year to for the economy to activate after the shutdown ends and clubs will be in financial strife in the post-corona era although we can afford it. Considering everyone's problems, we want BFF to cancel the ongoing season," Bashundhara Kings president Imrul Hasan told The Daily Star, adding they are still waiting for the BFF decision to reach a mutual understanding with their foreign players.
"The clubs will also have to face a financial double blow as they have to manage money for the next season after the completion of the ongoing season," said Hasan, stressing that if the BFF resumes the league in the near future, they will have to do so in accordance to the bylaws.
"We can't see the end of the coronavirus and it really is not easy to reopen the league, so we can't wait for a long period in this uncertainty. Besides, our expenditure behind the foreign players is also going up. So, we are asking that the league be cancelled," said Saif SC managing director Nasir Uddin Chowdhury.
At last month's professional football league committee meeting, more than half the clubs wanted a cancellation while others wanted it to be held in a shorter timeframe.
The matter was referred to the executive committee, which is scheduled to sit on May 17 to take the final decision. In the meantime, the BFF secretariat wrote to the AFC asking what would happen if the league was cancelled, inquiring about AFC Cup quota, whether the current table would be recognised and if the BFF could give verdicts on players' contracts.
Some foreign coaches and players have already left the country.
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