Female footballers revolt against coach: What BFF will do?

Bangladesh national women's football team skipper Sabina Khatun speaks to media at the BFF ThursdayProthom Alo

“It’s a matter of our self-respect”, Sabina Khatun lowered her head saying this to hide her tears. She couldn’t continue. She stepped back to make way for others to speak.

This was the scenario in a press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) premise last evening. Bangladesh national football team skipper Sabina Khatun was accompanied by her compatriots at the press conference.

Sabina and her teammates were standing in front of the media at the same place exactly three months ago. That day, they were all smiling in the pride of retaining the SAFF Championship title for the second time in a row. However, this time, they were standing there with disappointment, pain and tears in their eyes.

There is only one reason behind this – head coach of the women’s national team Peter Butler. The women footballers raised several allegations against them including mental harassment, repression, using abusive words, body shaming, misbehaving, continuous discrimination and unfair treatment. There are many more allegations against the head coach in the three-page statement in writing.

The female ballers alleged that most of the players are frustrated and scared to play under Peter Butler. In such a situation, it is not possible for the footballers to continue working with the coach. They say the board will have to make a choice between the head coach and the footballers as all the members of the female football team are going to retire together if the head coach stays.

The female footballers are waiting for the decision of BFF president Tabith Awal. Some 18 members, who joined the ‘revolt’, want an immediate solution to the problem from the BFF president. In this case, the immediate solution means choosing one between the coach and the players.

Such an unprecedented incident unfolded at such a time when the BFF president was not in the country. Tabith Awal went to the UK early this month. He signed a two-year contract with Peter Butler as the head coach of the women’s national team there.

Butler returned to Bangladesh after signing the contract while the BFF president was still in the UK. He wanted to start work immediately, but the footballers revolted.

Prothom Alo tried to reach BFF president Tabith Awal over the phone to learn the BFF’s stance in this regard. He disconnected the call and texted this correspondent that he would call back later.

Later, this correspondent got a comment from the BFF president through the top football agency’s media manager, which reads, “The players are part of our family and we won’t make any comment regarding any member of the family.”

The BFF too has understood the gravity of the problem. They formed a seven-member committee to address the problem. Now it remains to be seen what they do.