European coaches dominate Bangladesh coach shortlist

Nearly 300 coaches from across the globe have applied for the vacant Bangladesh national football team head coach position, making it one of the largest recruitment exercises in the country’s football history.

Following the 20 April application deadline, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) formed a four-member selection committee, which has already trimmed the list to 142 candidates.

The panel consists of BFF Technical Director Saiful Bari Titu and executive committee members Iqbal Hossain, Sayeed Hassan Kanan and Kamrul Hasan Hilton.

Kanan outlined the selection criteria driving the process. “We are prioritising a UEFA Pro Licence, prior experience working with national teams particularly in Asia, a proven track record of success, and an age bracket of 40 to 60. There is also a distinct preference being given to European,” he said.

He further added: “We have currently shortlisted 142 UEFA Pro Licence holders. We are conducting the first screening by reviewing all the CVs, and only those with a Pro Licence have made it to this phase. We are now filtering this list further, and within a day or two, we will narrow it down to a final 20 to 25 candidates.”

The initial pool includes coaches from Germany, Croatia, England, Spain and several other footballing nations, reflecting the global interest in the role.

Among the notable applicants is Germany’s Bernd Storck, who famously guided Hungary to European Championship qualification after a 44-year gap and also reached the Under-20 World Cup last 16. France’s Didier Olle-Nicolle is also in contention.

Croatian Petar Segrt, who led Maldives to the 2018 SAFF Championship title, is part of the list, alongside Stefano Cusin, who has managed Comoros and South Sudan. Other experienced names include Miodrag Radulovic, former assistant at Dynamo Moscow and ex-head coach of Lebanon and Montenegro; Germany’s Antoine Hey, who has coached Gambia, Liberia, Kenya and Myanmar; and Igor Štimac, former Croatia international and India head coach.

The shortlist also features familiar figures in Bangladesh football, including Jamie Day, Mario Lemos and Fabio Lopez. Abdullah Al Mutairi and former Mohammedan Sporting Club coach Sean Lane have also shown interest.

However, uncertainty remains over former head coach Javier Cabrera. Despite widespread speculation, his name did not appear in the initial shortlist reviewed by the committee.

Budget is expected to play a decisive role in the final appointment. The BFF previously paid Cabrera around USD 13,500 per month and is reportedly willing to stretch its financial package for the right candidate. However, any final decision will depend on the calibre of the shortlisted coaches and subsequent negotiations.