Some top Bangladesh Premier League clubs have appreciated the idea of going with the local footballers only when football returns from Covid-19 pandemic but they don’t think it would be possible to conclude the remaining fixtures due to the short space of time before next season.
“I agreed with Nabil’s [Kazi Nabil Ahmed] proposal because the clubs are struggling big time financially and it will reduce more than half the pressure from them,” said Badal Roy, the spokesperson and official of Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited.
Mohammedan formed and run their squad raising donations from their former players, organizers and well-wishers since the casino crackdown in Dhaka in September last year.
Badal informed that out of approximately Tk6 crores budget for the season, the club spent around Tk3.5 crores behind the foreigners.
The former national footballer urged the federation to give the clubs their participating money of the league as well.
Kazi Nabil Ahmed, the BFF VP, has suggested concluding the remaining fixtures of the BPL with the local footballers only to reduce extra pressure from the financially struggling clubs from bearing the expenditures of the higher-paid foreign recruits.https://t.co/O61bTxlIHU#BFF
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) April 23, 2020
“The BFF has no headache about the club’s struggle. They don’t’ even hand over the participation money to the clubs which they need most in the current situation.”
Nasiruddin Chowdhury, the managing director of Saif Sporting Club, said they it would save his club Tk3-4 crores they spend behind foreign players per season.
“My personal opinion is to play all the tournaments of next season with local players only. It will give them exposure. But at the moment there is no possibility to conclude the ongoing league considering the pandemic situation,” said Nasiruddin, who also sponsors another BPL outfit, Chittagong Abahani Limited.
Top-spending Bashundhara Kings had earlier expressed their concern over the payments and contracts of their foreign players, but informed that they may find it difficult to go in line with locals only due to their 2020 AFC Cup commitment.
Imrul Hasan, the president of the BPL champion who have starlets like World Cupper Daniel Colindres and former Argentine international Hernan Barcos, said they want to form their squad considering the economic hurdles of the clubs.
Masuk Mia Jony, the injured national midfielder of Bashundhara Kings, is set to receive his second installment of payment from @FIFAcom under its “Club Protection Scheme”.https://t.co/oycfCh1Ytz#FOOTBALL #BANGLADESH #BANGLADESHFOOTBALL #BFF #MASUKMIAJONY #MASUK #MIA #JONY #FIFA
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) April 21, 2020
“I appreciate playing the league with local players but it is not going to happen in the current season because there can’t be two different rules for one league,” said Imrul.
“I talked to the clubs. They don’t want to continue the ongoing league.”
Along with the Kings, Bashundhara Group also sponsors two other clubs, former BPL winners, Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra and Lt. Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited.
“It’s not a headache now whether the league will continue or not. We just want to be specific about how long the BPL would be postponed, whether it’s three or four months, we want concrete decision from the BFF in two-three days so that we can start talking to our foreign players,” said Imrul.
BFF has called a meeting for Saturday to discuss the future of the premier league.