Former Coach Gerard Jones Says He Received Death Threats While Working in Bangladesh

PNN News Desk, Dhaka

Gerard Jones, who lost his position as head coach following Bangladesh’s defeats in three consecutive matches in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers, has now spoken out about his experience working in Bangladesh. He claimed that, while carrying out his responsibilities, he faced personal attacks, the leaking of personal information and even death threats.

Jones made the remarks in a lengthy post published on his Facebook account from Kansas City, United States, on Tuesday (September 8).

Jones said criticism of on-field performances and football-related decisions was understandable. However, he said personal attacks, the disclosure of personal information and death threats were in no way acceptable. He claimed that while staying in Bangladesh, he received several serious messages of this nature.

He further said that he is a husband, a father and a son. Therefore, he said, such threats were not only a matter of concern for his own safety but also for the safety of his family.

Bangladesh did not have a good start in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers. After losing their first two matches, Bangladesh also suffered a 3-0 defeat against Syria in their third match. The following day, on September 4, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) decided to terminate its contract with Jones.

However, the BFF’s official announcement did not specify the exact reason for removing him from his position. The statement only said that Jones had been relieved of his responsibilities for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers and that his contract had been terminated.

However, according to a BFF source, in addition to the team’s poor results, an unpleasant incident involving Jones and assistant coach Atikur Rahman at the team hotel on August 19 also played a role in the decision to remove Jones. It was reported that the situation escalated into pushing and shoving between the two following an argument. Jones later called the national emergency service 999 himself and requested police assistance.

After losing his position, Jones said in his statement that he did not want his work in Bangladeshi football to be judged solely on the basis of the team’s recent results. He claimed that he had long-term plans involving the development of youth football, the process of producing local coaches, identifying talented players and working with Bangladeshi players living abroad.

Jones said he did not receive sufficient time to implement these plans. In his view, the type of football the team practised during training could not be consistently implemented in competitive matches.

The former coach also gave his assessment of Bangladesh’s football structure. According to him, major changes are needed in the player-selection system, training and infrastructure, football culture and the process of developing high-level players if Bangladesh is to regularly compete with Asia’s top teams.

Following Jones’s comments, his time in Bangladesh has once again become a subject of discussion. In particular, the termination of his contract by the BFF, the team’s disappointing results and his allegations of threats have collectively raised questions about the management and environment of Bangladesh’s youth football.