Jamie Day is all set to extend his contract with Bangladesh Football Federation by two years and if the deal goes through, it would make him the longest serving head coach in the country’s football history.
The Englishman started the job with an initial one-year deal starting from May 14, 2018 before extending it for another year in 2019.
The new contract however, begins from mid August due to Covid-19 pandemic.
“Terms and conditions are agreed. It’s almost done. We will finalize the deal through a video call with Jamie within one-two days,” said BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag to Dhaka Tribune.
Day had to accept the fact that he wouldn’t be paid for three months considering the pandemic situation that suspended all football activity for an indefinite time.
After replacing English-Australian Andrew Ord, Day became the 40th Bangladesh head coach.
It is also going to be the first time that the BFF gives a two-year contract to a national team head coach.
Bangladesh Football Federation has made a list of 240 struggling footballers across the country to hand it over to National Sports Council for government funding.https://t.co/GXJAV8Erm9#FOOTBALL #BANGLADESH #BANGLADESHFOOTBALL #BFF #NSC #NATIONALSPORTSCOUNCIL #COVID19 #COVID
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) May 13, 2020
Dutchman Lodewijk de Kruif served Bangladesh uninterruptedly for 21 months from January 2013 to October 2014.
He later became Bangladesh head coach twice more for shorter period, first for eight months in 2015 and one month in 2016.
Serbian George Kottan coached for little over two years starting from December 2000 to February 2003 and guided Bangladesh to their maiden Saff Championship title during the last month of the contract.
Before him, German Otto Pfister served the national team for two years from 1995-97.
Meanwhile, the local coaches were never given professional contract until 2008.
They often coached for a temporary period.
Sheikh Saheb Ali was the first Bangladesh head coach who served occasionally from 1972 to 1975 when Bangladesh played only one international tournament in Merdeka Cup.