Former Kyrgyzstan national team head coach Aleksandr Krestinin could take charge of Bangladesh, the Russian specialist told Eurasia Football.
Krestinin said he has several options to continue his career, but the Bangladesh national team role is currently the most attractive option.
“We have very positive experience specifically in working with a national team. We know all the nuances. Very few people can build a functioning system for a national team in such a difficult situation. For us, this would be a serious challenge. But it does not scare us. Our work and our results with the Kyrgyzstan national team speak for themselves,” Krestinin said.
According to the coach, negotiations with the Bangladesh Football Federation are currently at an active stage.
Krestinin could replace Spanish coach Javier Cabrera, who had been in charge of Bangladesh since 2022, but did not achieve a major breakthrough with the team. As of April 2026, Bangladesh are ranked 180th in the FIFA men’s world ranking. At the same time, the national team have recently strengthened their squad by bringing in Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury, who now represents Bangladesh.
Krestinin spent nine years in charge of the Kyrgyzstan national team. He also worked with Dordoi Bishkek, Neftchi Kochkor-Ata, Tashkent clubs Lokomotiv and Bunyodkor, and Tajikistan’s Khujand.
The coach led Kyrgyzstan to the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in the country’s history, where the team reached the knockout stage. He later qualified Kyrgyzstan for the tournament for a second time before leaving the post.
Krestinin also won the Kyrgyz league title five times with Neftchi and Dordoi. In 2025, he helped launch the Bars FC project; the club later became Kyrgyz champions. His most recent job was with Tajik side Khujand.