BFF steps in after women footballers’ Butler boycott

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) has formed a special committee to decide their action plan regarding the dispute between senior players of the national women’s team and their head coach Peter Butler.

The committee, comprising a total of seven members, has been asked to submit its report by February 7.

Special committee chairman and BFF senior vice-president Imrul Hasan said, “We are going to sit for the first meeting of the [special] committee tomorrow [Saturday] because we first want to determine the ways we want to work on the matter after discussing with the members of the committee.”

Earlier, eighteen players boycotted the ongoing training camp on Tuesday, refusing to train under Butler — whose contract was extended for two years last month following SAFF Women’s Championship success — ahead of February-March FIFA friendlies against the UAE.

After declining a meeting with Butler, the rebel players sent a letter to president Awal on Wednesday, citing their concerns and requesting intervention. BFF officials attempted to persuade the players to continue training until Awal’s return, but they remained firm.

Some, including Sabina Khatun and Sumaya Matsushima, rejected one-on-one discussions. Meanwhile, junior players stated they had no issues with the strict training methods of Butler, who returned to Dhaka on Monday night.

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