Gerard Jones denies sacking reports

Despite widespread reports that Bangladesh Under-20 team head coach Gerard Jones has been relieved of his duties, the British coach has denied the claims. In a message on social media, Jones stated that he had not been informed of any such decision by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) .

Jones said, "The matter is completely baseless. No one from the federation has told me that I have been sacked or anything like that. I don't even know where the news came from" .

He added, "What is the point of doing all this? Why would someone try to post false or wrong news to disrupt the team's harmony?"

Jones has been in the spotlight for several days prior to the reports of his dismissal due to various incidents. He was involved in a heated argument with assistant coach Atiqur Rahman Mishu at a team hotel in Dhaka, which reportedly escalated into a physical scuffle . At one point, Jones called the police by phoning the national emergency service, 999. Police later arrived and brought the situation under control .

Following the incident, the BFF's Development Committee began investigating the matter . However, amidst the investigation, Jones released a video message on social media on Monday night, expressing concern for his safety and alleging that he had been physically attacked at work .

Jones claimed he had to call the police in self-defence. He alleged that despite informing the BFF by sending pictures of his injuries, he received no cooperation or support . He said, "I still do not feel safe" .

However, Jones has denied any conflict with assistant coach Mishu, claiming his relationship with him is good and that someone is deliberately spreading misinformation to muddy the situation .

Meanwhile, multiple BFF sources have confirmed Jones's dismissal . The news comes just a day before the Bangladesh Under-20 team is scheduled to leave for Uzbekistan for the AFC Under-20 Asian Cup qualifiers . Bangladesh is placed in Group B alongside hosts Uzbekistan, India, and Chinese Taipei . The uncertainty created by the situation surrounding the coach has cast a shadow over the team's preparations .

In the midst of this, the BFF has also postponed the scheduled press conference of the Bangladesh Under-20 team on Tuesday . The press conference was cancelled due to "unavoidable circumstances" , shortly after which reports of Jones's dismissal emerged.

Gerard Jones had taken over as the head coach of the Bangladesh Under-20 team in June on a two-year contract . However, the recent turn of events has created fresh uncertainty over his future .