Cruciani to replace Lemos at Abahani

Argentine coach Diego Cruciani is likely to return as the head coach of Abahani for the 2023-24 season as the club management decided not to renew the contract of Portuguese coach Mario Lemos.

It has also been learnt that the club management has decided to appoint assistant coach Nazrul Islam as the manager in place of Satyjit Das Rupu, who worked as the manager of the club's football team for nearly two decades.

Cruciani had previously coached Abahani in 2007 after serving as the head coach of Bangladesh team from 2005 to 2006. The 61-year-old coach also worked with Saif SC in the 2021-22 season.

Though the club officials kept silent regarding the appointments of the new coach and manager, the club's chief executive officer, Mohammad Humayun Kabir, said that they would inform the developments once the club's chairman approves of the football committee's decisions.

"I can't tell you anything until the club chairman approves the new resolution, which was taken at the meeting of the football committee yesterday [Thursday]," Kabir told The Daily Star on Friday.

When contacted, Lemos said, "Abahani decided not to renew contract with me and informed it last night [Thursday]."

However, an online news portal confirmed the appointment of Cruciani and Nazrul, quoting the club's acting director-in-charge Kazi Nabil Ahmed.