SORRY, WE CAN'T COME TO AN AGREEMENT: Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin (L) shakes hands with Serbian coach Zoran Djordjevic after an unsuccessful meeting at the BFF Bhaban yesterday.Photo: STAR

The regime of Serbian football coach Zoran Djordjevic has came into an early end as the Bangladesh Football Federation refused to make a new four-year contract with the successful Serbian coach citing lack of money.
Over the last three days, the football governing body had been struggling to retain the service of the Serbian coach as well as waiting for president Kazi Salahuddin for the final decision on Zoran, who had demanded a long-term contract upto 2014 after guiding Bangladesh to emerge as unbeaten champions in the football event of the just concluded South Asian Games on home soil.
"He (Zoran) wants a four-year contract at the moment and he won't go with the national team in Sri Lanka until the new contract worth Tk 7 crore is signed. But we have no ability to get such a large amount of money. Besides, it is also not possible to sign a new contract within a very short period and I thanked him for his service in the SA Games," said Salahuddin after emerging from a short meeting with Zoran at the BFF House yesterday.
Djordjevic and his two assistants Zoran Kraljedic and Berber Dabor arrived here in January to guide the national football team in the South Asian Games as well as the AFC Challenge Cup finals under a two-month contract.
Salahuddin returned home last morning from London and had a discussion with the Serbian coach in a bid to retain his service as the national team are scheduled to leave here for Sri Lanka for the AFC Challenge Cup finals today.
Zoran, who claimed he was a free man after clinching the football title in SA Games on February 8, skipped conducting the training despite the declaration of a 20-member squad that he chose for the AFC Challenge Cup.
Accepting Zoran's notion, Salahuddin offered him another one-month contract, but the Serbian stuck to his demand of signing a four-year deal in the discussion.
"You are right that you had a one-month contract and now we are ready to offer him another month-long contract, but he stuck to his demand of signing a four-year contract though I was ready to give him double of what was in the first contract," said the BFF boss adding that there was no opportunity to negotiate with Zoran again.
Zoran, however, rejected that the BFF offered him for another month contract and said he would leave Bangladesh as soon as he gets his due.
"I am very sorry for Bangla desh and the future of football.
I don't feel better here and will leave Bangladesh when I get my passport, tickets and remuneration," said the 57-year old coach.
Zoran, however, was also critical of the BFF officials.
"I am very upset. They don't have vision and they don't want the betterment of football. These people have no future, they are gangsters and they are not working for football,' claimed Zoran.
Salahuddin, however, said that he found Zoran totally a different person after and before the SA Games.
"There is no similarity in his words and behaviour before and after the South Asian Games as he had prepared two teams -- one for SA Games and other for AFC Challenge Cup during the training but he was now talking other things and I can't accept this," said Salahuddin.
Salahuddin is now looking forward to gaining a good European coach before the national team's assignment in the World Cup Qualifying in October.
The BFF boss said that Zoran had contribution in making Bangladesh champions, but the federation did a great job investing a lot of money during the off-season.
"Zoran has contribution but it is not a lone success of Zoran because we spent a lot of money to keep the players fit throughout the year after arranging a conditioning camp during the off-season," said the former Bangladesh international.
He also believed Zoran wanted to cash in on the people's passion on football through pressing them hard to make a new contract.