The local popularity then trickles down to attracting local talents. Young and promising kids look up to the club and want to play for and defend the badge when they grow up. Looking at the big clubs of Germany, especially Bayern and Dortmund, makes it evident. Two of the most iconic footballers of Germany in recent times, Manuel Neuer and Marco Reus are the captains of the two clubs. They came up through the ranks of German clubs and went on to represent their country in the world stage winning the FIFA World Cup in 2014.
All of this is the result of strong club infrastructure and community engagement. Bangladesh also has huge possibilities in this regard where clubs like Mohammedan and Abahani have huge following in their local community. Effective steps could make sure that Bangladesh could also follow in the footsteps of Germany. The Bangladesh national team captain is a testament to that. Jamal Bhuyan was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His local clubs Brondby IF and FC Copenhagen brought him to limelight that helped the BFF locate him in their radar. Consequently, he has become the biggest brand of Bangladesh football. Clubs have to play such roles to bring footballers up. That is how the football world has been functioning since the beginning and that is how it will continue to function.
Football is still the most popular sport in Bangladesh. The national team’s matches outside the capital and even the recent Federation Cup final between Mohammedan and Abahani have proven that again. The clubs need to chalk up their plans now if they indeed want to bring back the popularity of top tier domestic football in Bangladesh. European heavyweights like Bayern Munich are examples they could look up to, to build their infrastructure for the future. This would not only serve the clubs themselves but the footballing nation of Bangladesh as a whole.
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