Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra have decided to part ways with all five foreign footballers for the season by providing them 30% pay cut until April 30, informed the club’s director of sports, Saleh Jaman Selim, to Dhaka Tribune.
“All our foreign recruits were signed for until June 30 this year but there is a clause in the contract that the club can extend the deal upto two months, or can terminate the contract two months early. We decided to end the contract on April 30,” said Selim.
The former treble winners have last season’s top scorer in the Bangladesh Premier League, Nigerian striker Raphael Odoyin, but it was former English Premier League defensive midfielder Chris Herd who had to be recruited for the biggest sum of salary, while other signings include Nigerian centerback Alison Udoka, Uzbekistan attacking midfielder Alisher Azizov and Brazilian striker Pedro Henrique.
Selim said they have agreed 30% pay cut with the players for the month of April as the Premier League has been postponed since the last sixth round fixtures were played on March 15.
The wait of three Japanese footballers who were signed by as many Bangladesh clubs is all set to be over as the Bangladesh Premier League midfield trio are scheduled to leave Dhaka for Tokyo via a chartered plane Thursday eveninghttps://t.co/wsN6QETrjN#FOOTBALL #BANGLADESH #BPL
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) April 29, 2020
The local players are signed for until the end of season with a fixed amount of money, and have been given advanced payment of 50-80% of their total salary at the beginning of the season, said Selim.
The fate of BPL’s future is awaiting BFF’s decision, due for the last week of May, but Selim sees no way to resume the league, with 120 fixtures remaining to be played.
Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Krira Chakra also closed contracts with foreign signings before bidding Japanese midfielder Norito Hashiguchi a hearty farewell at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Thursday.
Uttar Baridhara Club, the newly promoted BPL club, followed suit as secretary Jahangir Alam earlier informed that the contracts with foreign players ended on April 15.
#BFF seeks #FIFA's financial aid https://t.co/hN9MFPgRB6
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) April 26, 2020
He said, “We are taking good care of them in the lockdown situation. The only wait is for flights to be available. Players are very eager to go back home.”
The officials of Abahani Limited, Saif Sporting Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club Limited informed that they are only waiting for BFF’s verdict regarding league’s future before talking about the contract situation with the players.
A total of 64 foreign footballers were signed by 13 BPL clubs before the start of the BPL 2019-20 season.
Only seven were lucky to fly back home before or during the countrywide lockdown due to Covid-19.
The rest of the foreign booters are locked down in Dhaka for one and a half month under full responsibility of the clubs.