Clubs can play vital role to develop football

AFC president vows to provide technical assistance

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was very much positive about the activities of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), as he thinks BFF is going on right track and AFC and FIFA will provide assistance.

Salman, also the vice-president of the FIFA, who came here in Dhaka on Sunday on a personal tour to Bangladesh had a meeting with the BFF executives and a media session followed by lunch at BFF yesterday.

Salman while addressing the media said, “We all have seen the progress from the programmes that we started like the mini pitches, technical expert zone and new programmes are coming and support for the infrastructure facilities from which Bangladesh FA will be benefited. Whenever there will be any request, we will try to provide them. We don’t want to sit here, we like to keep on open-door policy.”

Replying to a query about the Bangladesh football, referring to his country, Salman said, “Every country goes ups and downs. Sometimes you have good generation and bad generation. The most important thing is how you pick up yourselves and build again. When I was Bahrain FA president in 1996, Otto Pfister was Bangladesh coach and we had to work hard to get a result against Bangladesh. I am sure this can be repeated because the talents are here. So far a member association has everything to bring football on the track, they need the help of clubs as well.”

Salman, who gave importance to strong club football culture for the development of a country’s football, cited the example of European football – “Without the development of teams within the club level, you can’t have a strong national team. We can’t expect the national association to have the responsibility to progress the game.” It depends on the club themselves also. It is not just the first team. It depends on your base and your club structures and how you want to develop the grass-root because at the end of the day, they are the futures of your team.”

But the AFC president also said about the responsibilities of the national associations as he said, “The every FA has responsibility and the clubs have also some responsibility to run the show. You can’t expect the association to run football academy. It has to come from the clubs because clubs can create league on their own for the young. It is important for the clubs to focus on the grass-root before focusing on the first team.”   

 “Your teams have been participating in all AFC competitions which showed your commitment in developing the sports in country. We are working with you and your administration to see what can be done. We have seen the progress that is always more to be done,” Salman revealed.

Salman, who is pleased with the development of women’s football in Asia, said, “Five teams of Asia are in the top ranked of FIFA women’s football, the progress of women’s football in Bangladesh are also developing.”

BFF president Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin in his address to media said that the AFC president is good friend and brother of him and as well as of Bangladesh and he is (Salman) he is very much helpful and good human being.

 “I consider the president of the AFC as a brother and a friend of mine and Bangladesh as a nation. Any time I reached him, the problem was solved into two minutes. This is the kind of friend. He is one of the most decent human being I have come across.”

Clubs can play vital role to develop football

AFC president vows to provide technical assistance

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa was very much positive about the activities of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), as he thinks BFF is going on right track and AFC and FIFA will provide assistance. Salman, also the vice-president of the FIFA, who came here in Dhaka on Sunday on a personal tour to Bangladesh had a meeting with the BFF executives and a media session followed by lunch at BFF yesterday. Salman while addressing the media said, We all have seen the progress from the programmes that we started like the mini pitches, technical expert zone and new programmes are coming and support for the infrastructure facilities from which Bangladesh FA will be benefited. Whenever there will be any request, we will try to provide them. We dont want to sit here, we like to keep on open-door policy. Replying to a query about the Bangladesh football, referring to his country, Salman said, Every country goes ups and downs. Sometimes you have good generation and bad generation. The most important thing is how you pick up yourselves and build again. When I was Bahrain FA president in 1996, Otto Pfister was Bangladesh coach and we had to work hard to get a result against Bangladesh. I am sure this can be repeated because the talents are here. So far a member association has everything to bring football on the track, they need the help of clubs as well. Salman, who gave importance to strong club football culture for the development of a countrys football, cited the example of European football Without the development of teams within the club level, you cant have a strong national team. We cant expect the national association to have the responsibility to progress the game. It depends on the club themselves also. It is not just the first team. It depends on your base and your club structures and how you want to develop the grass-root because at the end of the day, they are the futures of your team. But the AFC president also said about the responsibilities of the national associations as he said, The every FA has responsibility and the clubs have also some responsibility to run the show. You cant expect the association to run football academy. It has to come from the clubs because clubs can create league on their own for the young. It is important for the clubs to focus on the grass-root before focusing on the first team. Your teams have been participating in all AFC competitions which showed your commitment in developing the sports in country. We are working with you and your administration to see what can be done. We have seen the progress that is always more to be done, Salman revealed. Salman, who is pleased with the development of womens football in Asia, said, Five teams of Asia are in the top ranked of FIFA womens football, the progress of womens football in Bangladesh are also developing. BFF president Kazi Mohammad Salahuddin in his address to media said that the AFC president is good friend and brother of him and as well as of Bangladesh and he is (Salman) he is very much helpful and good human being. I consider the president of the AFC as a brother and a friend of mine and Bangladesh as a nation. Any time I reached him, the problem was solved into two minutes. This is the kind of friend. He is one of the most decent human being I have come across.