Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club yesterday appointed Abu Yusuf as the team's coach after serving a show-cause notice on his predecessor Saiful Bari Titu the day before.
"Yes, I have been given the charge of Sheikh Jamal [Dhanmondi Club] though the agreement has yet to be signed. I am now preparing to train the team in the afternoon," said Yusuf shortly after noon yesterday.
Yusuf, who holds an AFC B-license, last season coached Feni Soccer Club to guide them finish eighth among 13 teams. The former national coach also guided Rahmatganj MFS in 2009 and Sheikh Russel KC in 2008, but abandoned both the teams in the middle of the league following disagreement with management.
"Coaching profession is always a thankless job and it is usual to be sacked and I hope the team management will help me for the interest of the team," said Yusuf adding that it would not be a problem to work with club president Manzur Kader if he could understand him well.
Sheikh Jamal last season also sacked two Serbian coaches before the start of the professional league and then appointed Sri Lankan Packeer Ali though the Serbian duo had taken them to the final of the Federation Cup where they were beaten 3-5 by Abahani.
However, the move that Sheikh Jamal has taken has surprised outgoing Titu as the AFC A-licensed coach has not been terminated yet.
"I am surprised to see that Sheikh Jamal appointed a coach without giving me a chance to explain my position though they gave me a three-day time," said Titu, who guided the club to win Pokhra Cup in Nepal and Federation Cup in Bangladesh. But his charges dropped five points in the first three matches of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.
Titu informed he was asked to attend a meeting on Wednesday, called by the club president, which he failed to do because of his younger child's illness and sought to meet the club president the next day (Thursday) and he was served the show-cause notice.