'I used to go to stadium just to watch him play’: Papon says after meeting Salahuddin

Youth and Sports minister Nazmul Hassan Papon met with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin today for the first time since becoming the minister and afterwards downplayed their public row and called him the biggest football icon in the country.

"A relationship of so many years can't end because of one conversation," Papon told the reporters after the meeting today.

"When I was young, I used to go to the stadium just to watch him play, there is no way for me to deny that. He is the most legendary footballer in Bangladesh's history," he added.

Papon and Salahuddin had earlier taken shots against each other in press conferences last year, with Papon criticising the BFF for not sending the women's team to the Olympic qualifiers for a shortage of funds while Salahuddin made sly comments about Papon's close ties with the prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

However, Papon said that both of them have worked past their differences.

"Some words were exchanged which hurt him as it hurt me. I reacted to it. But it ended right there."

Salahuddin underwent a successful heart surgery in December last year and is currently recovering from it.

The main purpose of Papon's visit was to check on Salahuddin's current condition and he was pleased to see the former footballer recovering well.

"I'm not a doctor, but from what I saw, I feel that he is doing quite well right now by the grace of Allah. He seems healthy. I was very happy to see him walking around with ease."