BOSNIAN NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM COACH MEHO KODRO FIRED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (May 19,2008) - The Bosnian Football Association has fired coach Meho Kodro after he refused to take charge of a friendly against Iran scheduled for May 26.

"Kodro was sacked because he refused to coach the team for the friendly with Iran," the association’s spokeswoman, Slavica Pecikoza, said.

Bosnian football officials arranged the friendly for May 26 without Kodro’s approval. He then refused to take part in it.

"We had no choice but to sack Kodro and it was a unanimous decision," said the Bosnian Football Association's executive board member Hamdija Abdic, who stepped down after Kodro's dismissal.

"It is obvious that we can't carry on running the Bosnian Football Association like this and I have asked the entire executive board and the presidency to resign too," Abdic said.

The NFSBIH scrapped a friendly against Euro 2008 qualifiers Poland on May 26 in favour of arranging a match with Iran in Tehran, contrary to the Bosnian National Football Team Coach Meho Kodro's wishes.

The body then called off the fixture and Kodro's assistant Elvir Bolic described its acts as "ridiculous."

"This is yet another farce premeditated by individuals who will take Bosnian football nowhere," he said.

Youth team coach Denijal Piric has been named in temporary charge and his first game will be a home friendly against Azerbaijan in Zenica on June 1.The match with Iran meanwhile, has been cancelled and will be played at a later date.
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