Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has decided to relieve Lodewijk de Kruif as the head coach of the Bangladesh National Football team.
Bari Tito, his deputy, will take charge of the team temporarily, said BFF President Kazi Salahuddin.
BFF has also asked Rene Coaster, an assistant of de Kruif, to leave.
Salahuddin announced the decision of getting rid of the Dutch coach after an emergency BFF meeting on Saturday.
“He (Kruif) will no longer remain as coach. Tito will shoulder his responsibility for the moment,” he said.
De Kruif was appointed national team coach in June last year. BFF claims, despite being in charge for 16 months, he has actually worked with the team for a very short time.
And he had failed to bring any laurels as Bangladesh crashed out of the just concluded Incheon Asian Games in group stage.
De Kruif repeatedly criticized the federation for unresolved payments, poor accommodation and lack of personal perks. As a result, his relationship with the federation gradually deteriorated.
His relationship with BFF nosedived hugely a few days back when the coach posted a Facebook status over the matter from the Netherlands.
The Dutchman termed BFF ‘liars’ in the post and said he was reluctant to work with them.
BFF officials said, Kruif went home on a vacation after the Asian Games. He was supposed to return soon after Eid-ul-Azha.
But instead of returning, he posted on Facebook that he filed a complaint to Fifa over the dues. That led to the sacking of the Dutchman.
BFF will discuss the matter of Kruif’s dues with Fifa, said Salahuddin.
“He (Kruif) was in the Netherlands for seven months after taking responsibility. We have paid him salary of 11 months so far. We will check with Fifa whether we should pay him any more money.”
Sri Lanka National Football Team will soon visit Bangladesh and play two matches; one in Jessore on October 24 and another in Rajshahi three days later. Tito will be charge of the team during the tour.
Tito has coached the national team before in 2010.
Source: bdnews24
