New Bangladesh coach Dooley to arrive in Dhaka Friday morning
The long wait, anticipation and speculation over the appointment of the country’s men’s football team head coach are nearly over, as German-American Thomas Dooley is set to arrive in Dhaka on Friday morning to sign a two-year contract with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF).
The development was confirmed by a member of the National Teams Management Committee on Thursday night.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. BFF officially floated advertisements in early April seeking applications for the head coach position, attracting around 270 candidates, following the tenure of Javier Cabrera which lasted for over four years.
Former USA captain Dooley emerged as the frontrunner after the BFF ended discussions with Wales’ Chris Coleman over disagreements regarding agent fees.
BFF president Tabith Awal had recently said the new coach would arrive in time to oversee the opening day of the national team’s preparation camp on May 24 ahead of a FIFA international friendly against San Marino on June 5.
Dooley, a dual US-German citizen, is an accomplished football manager and former professional player who recently stepped down as head coach of Guyana after a near nine-month spell.
He enjoyed an illustrious 16-year playing career as a defender and midfielder in the Bundesliga, winning a league title with FC Kaiserslautern in 1991 and the UEFA Cup with Schalke 04 in 1997. Internationally, he earned 81 caps for the United States, representing the country at the 1994 FIFA World Cup and captaining the side at the 1998 edition in France, achievements that earned him a place in the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
After moving into coaching, Dooley became the first American to manage a professional European club during his tenure with FC Saarbrücken before later serving as assistant coach to Jürgen Klinsmann with the US. He is widely recognised for his work in Southeast Asian football, most notably during a successful four-year spell with the Philippines, whom he guided to a historic unbeaten qualification campaign for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Holding a UEFA Pro Licence, Dooley’s managerial portfolio also includes roles as head coach and technical director in Malaysia with Sri Pahang FC and in Vietnam with Viettel FC, where he helped secure a league title.
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