The Spanish national football team coach Javier Cabrera has long been questioned about his player selection and substitutions during matches. This time, the decision to release a preliminary list of 38 players and send 30 to the camp has drawn sharp criticism in the football community. Former footballers see the coach’s short-sightedness as well as the federation’s lack of coordination.
Former national footballer Zulfikar Mahmud Mintu said, “I have never seen a preliminary list published twice in Bangladesh since I was a player. The publication of the preliminary list means that those players will come to the camp and get a chance to practice. This time I saw an exception.”
The camp, which starts tomorrow, will last for five days. After that, Bangladesh will leave for Saudi Arabia. The former footballer believes that he could have seen everyone for at least these five days, “He had the opportunity to see eight people at least for a few days in practice. Then, when he went to Saudi Arabia, he could have selected as he needed.”
Former national team captain Zahid Hasan Emily cannot accept the reduction of the number from 38 to 30. His question is, “The list of 38 players was released after seeing the performance of the first leg. On what basis were they dropped without bringing them to the camp, practicing and checking their performance?” Emily also raised the issue of the coach’s lack of planning and the disrespect of the dropped players, “If he had planned to have 30 players practice, then there was no need to release the list of 38 players. Those who were on the list of 38 were hoping that they would make it to the national team. After everyone knew about it, it is definitely disrespectful to drop them without checking them.”
Former national team goalkeeper and Brothers Union player Ashraful Islam Rana posted on social media yesterday that goalkeeper Zico and defender Yasin were dropped early. This time, Abahani conceded only one goal in the first leg without a foreigner. Rana and many others cannot accept the fact that Yasin was dropped before the camp.
Former national team star goalkeeper Said Hason Kanan is now a member of the BFF and the national team committee. Even then, he gave his opinion on goalkeepers as a former footballer, saying, “In the past, he (Javier) called more than three goalkeepers in the primary squad. This time, there are only three in the primary squad. There are only three goalkeepers in the final squad of 23. Keeping all three in the primary squad means they are final. If there were more goalkeepers in Dhaka and Saudi Arabia, there would have been competition for the goalkeeper position.
Although Kanan commented as a former footballer, several members of the national team committee do not find any logic in the coach’s actions. Many who did not want to be named expressed their anger and said, “The demand for a selection committee was raised in the national team committee meeting. I see the possibility of it being strengthened further in this incident in the upcoming meeting.”
Although the coach selected the players, the federation published it in the media. The issue has been criticized by publishing the initial list in two stages. Therefore, many former footballers also see the federation’s responsibility here. The federation had to register about 50 players a month before the international tournament.
The names of the footballers on that initial list never appear in the media. Only the names of those with whom the camp and training started have been published in the media so far. Javier Cabrera, after taking charge for the third term, has questioned himself and the federation by walking a different path. Of course, this does not matter much to the coach. Because the highest level policy makers of the federation are satisfied with him so far!