Barcelona eyes match in Bangladesh

DHAKA - Agence France Presse

Barcelona's Pedro, right, jumps over Osasuna's goalkeeper Andres Fernandez during their Spanish League soccer match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. AP photo

Spanish football giant Barcelona is pushing for a game in Bangladesh next August, nearly two years after its top star Lionel Messi dazzled a huge crowd in the country's capital, officials said Wednesday.
 
"Barcelona has approached us with a proposal that they are willing to play in Bangladesh," Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin told AFP.
 
The Spanish league leader has sought three million euro ($4 million) as appearance fees, almost the same amount Bangladesh spent to host a friendly tie between the Messi-led Argentina national side and Nigeria in September 2011.
 
"If everything goes well, they may visit Bangladesh any time around August when the club will be touring Asia," Salahuddin said.
 
BFF general secretary Abu Nayeem Shohag said the authorities were eyeing different options to raise the fees and also looking for a strong opponent to face the Catalan side in Dhaka.
 
Football is a popular sport in cricket-focused Bangladesh, with many waiting up until after midnight to watch English and Spanish league games.