Paul Smalley away from women’s team over ‘contract negotiation’

Bangladesh Football Federation's technical director Paul Smalley will not be part the women's football team's FIFA friendlies against Nepal in Dhaka, an aberration for the British national who has been a regular fixture of the women's team since his appointment in 2016.

The 56-year-old technical director has almost a year left of his contract with the BFF, however, he is currently in negotiation with the BFF president over a substantial raise of salaries and benefits, which according to the current contract, is around 16 lac taka per month.

The Englishman recently returned to Bangladesh following Eid vacation but has not been involved himself with the women's team, which will take on Nepal in two FIFA friendlies in Dhaka on July 13 and 16.

Meanwhile, the BFF official informed that Paul Smalley, the technical director of BFF who has been part of women's teams ever since his appointment, will not be part of this latest assignment due to the ongoing negotiations over his contract.

"Paul is undergoing discussion with the BFF president. Since that is at a hanging state, he will not be part of these matches. He will not also relay any instructions for the team until the negotiations are over," informed Mahfuza Akter Kiron, BFF's women's wing chair person, at a press conference at the BFF house on Wednesday.

Golam Rabbani Choton used to play the coach's role for various national women's teams, but Smalley used to strategise various issues of the team and even sat at the dugout, often relaying messages to the team on the pitch. Choton having resigned, Smalley was expected to be assisting Mahbubur Rahman Litu, who has been given the role of head coach for these two matches.

In a recent interview with The Daily Star, BFF president Kazi Salahuddin had claimed that Smalley plays a much more important role than Choton and that without him, women's football's development will be greatly hampered.  

However, Smalley has recently detached himself from BFF's activities completely. Kiron informed that Smalley has not had any interaction with the team so far. The BFF official also informed that fitness trainer Ivan Razlog, who has often worked with the women's team previously, has been kept away from the team this time under Smalley's instruction.