Bangladesh national football coach Abu Yusuf said he would shoulder the responsibility of the team's failure in the fifth SAFF Championship.
Yusuf, who returned home with the team from Colombo Wednesday, kept mum so far but when he faced local media at the BFF Bhaban yesterday, he refused to explain why the team failed to go beyond the group stage.
Bangladesh, who have not won a single match in their last 17 internationals, finished third in a group involving co-hosts Sri Lanka and Unfancied Bhutan and Afghanistan.
"When a team fails, all the fingers are raised toward the coach. So I admit my failure," said Yusuf without elaborating.
Yusuf, who repeatedly claimed that Bangladesh would have gone far in the competition had the footballers played up to their potential, said he failed to get the most out of the team.
"We had more off-the-field problems. On pitch, they were unable to give their 100 percent."
When asked whether Yusuf believed whether his young and experienced squad really had the capability to sustain international pressure, the former national defender refused to comment.
Yusuf, who was quoted by a newspaper saying that he was influenced during selection of the team in Colombo, however, did not point out anyone.
"We were always in touch with the federation officials," he added.
"I have been told to submit a report to the federation by June 18 and I'll tell everything I have to say," said Yusuf.
Team leader Shafiquzzaman and manager Sheikh Mohammed Aslam have also been given the same deadline to submit their reports.
It is believed that Yusuf's aloofness created a distance with the players and there was no one took the initiative to bridge the gap.
Bangladesh, who drew 1-1 with Bhutan, salvaged a 2-2 draw against Afghanistan before falling 1-0 to Sri Lanka in a match where they needed to win to reach the last four.
In reply to a question why he ignored veteran defender Nazrul despite using three centre-backs in the last group match, Yusuf mentioned it was embarrassing for both the coach and the footballer when a senior player has to be kept at the bench.
He still did not say why he had ignored Nazrul, who was the top defender of last year's professional football league.
It can be mentioned that Nazrul was brought back from retirement by the National Team Management Committee, which took a lot of time to convince Yusuf to include him beside Joy in the side just two weeks before the tournament.
With the footballers going into the domestic scene after this month's transfer, they are not expected to be called for national duty until September when Bangladesh are likely to be invited to two international tournaments, in Malaysia and Indonesia.