‘Top clubs should have permanent income sources’

Former national forward Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib has been continuously involved with Mohammedan Sporting Club for the past 24 years and saw ups and downs of one of the country's most popular outfits. The prolific striker had donned the Black and White jersey for 13 seasons since 1989, barring a five-year stint at Muktijoddha Sangsad in between, before calling time in 2007. Ever since, Nakib featured in different managerial roles at Mohammedan. In an exclusive interview with Anisur Rahman of The Daily Star, the 48-year-old talked about different aspects surrounding the club after they made it to the Federation Cup final for the first time in 14 years.

The Daily Star (DS): Your feelings after Mohammedan reached the final of the Federation Cup after 14 years?

Imtiaz Ahmed Nakib (IAN): Of course, it feels great to see my beloved Mohammedan in the Federation Cup final, and we are also happy to meet Abahani there. Before the transfer, we promised to form a young and capable team that would always fight but the appointment of Shafiqul Islam Manik bhai as the head coach was not right, I think.

I believe we have formed a good squad with the best promising players after around 10 to 12 years but they did not perform well in the first-leg of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). However, they have started performing in the second-leg of the league with the promotion of assistant coach Alfaz Ahmed, who had before worked with British coach Sean Lane for nearly three years. The coach is an important factor in football and a good change has come in our squad after the replacement of the head coach.

DS: Does Mohammedan show professionalism while running the club?

IAN: The path Mohammedan follows is not proper. Only two people, club president Mubeen sir and football committee chairman Alomgir bhai, are running the show with their utmost financial help but the fact is that football is now a big business in the world and you need to handle it properly.

We have a lot of backups in former Mohammedan players, the supporters and more but we can't go forward because of a lack of timely logistic support. The financial constraint has been Mohammedan's main problem for over 12 to 15 years and we haven't fully recovered from this financial crisis yet.

Besides, Mohammedan don't have a permanent ground. We also need to improve the standard of current accommodation, food, gym facilities among other things, otherwise we would keep going through such a lean patch in the coming days as well.

DS: Is it possible to solve the financial crisis in the coming days?

IAN: I believe 16 directors and the president of the club have the capability to change everything. The club has 5.5 bigha (79,200 square feet) land in the centre of Motijheel area. We don't need the donation to run the club if we make this land for a source of permanent money income. And even though the directors are providing money as per the club's requirement of Tk 15 to 16 crore every year, how long and why they will keep providing the money is a question. I think we can earn money permanently from the club land in Motijheel.

DS: Why do you think Mohammedan are missing financial fluency, dedicated players and supporters it once had?

IAN: I was also a Mohammedan footballer but I didn't see the decision-makers of the club had any vision or long-term plan, especially after the 1990s. There was no plan in football, cricket and hockey. During the transfers of every season, one or two persons were given the responsibility to form the respective squads and they did their job on a season basis.

Whereas, you see the plan of Bashundhara Kings, who made a stadium, gymnasium, dormitory for the players and have a proper plan of how the squad will be for the next season, but we don't have such a plan.

DS: How much blame should be shared by clubs for the miserable state of country's football?

IAN: Of course, the clubs are to be blamed hundred per cent for this fall because the federation would not grow footballers. Can you show me any plans from the clubs? Are there any youth teams of any clubs, except on paper? But the clubs are supposed to have youth teams who are meant to be nursed round the year in order to bring out quality players.

I think the federation is also a bit responsible for this situation because if they could run the district football regularly, then new footballers would come out but they did not. Besides, all leagues except BPL are being played on the poor artificial turf at Kamalapur stadium, leading to a lot of promising players dropping early after sustaining injuries.

DS: Why has Mohammedan been unable to develop its marketing wing?

IAN: I think the board of directors can tell you about it. What I see is that if social clubs like Dhaka Club, Gulshan Club, Chittagong Club are running by generating their own fund, then why a sporting club can't generate its own? I think all top-tier clubs should have permanent income sources.

DS: Mohammedan won all domestic trophies except for BPL. Can the Black and Whites taste the professional league title in coming days?

IAN: Actually, it depends on the decision of the club high-ups. If the club president and the football committee chairman can provide us confidence, then I think we can go forward. That is all.