German coach Bruno Labbadia broke his silence on why he was not appointed Nigeria’s Super Eagles head coach, following the premature announcement of his appointment by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Last month, Labbadia cleared things up, insisting that the deal fell through because the logistical and organizational challenges outweighed the financial ones in an interview with Bild.
Not Salary Disputes, Organizational Challenges
Labbadia, who has previously trained VfL Wolfsburg and Stuttgart, conceded he made a visit to Nigeria to see the team and infrastructure, his primary condition for accepting the position, before getting the job.
But NFF’s appointment once made public, it became impossible to do this key condition. Labbadia stated, “The basic requirement for me was that I have to go to Nigeria and look at all of it on site. It was no longer possible after that was announced.”
No, it was never about the pay, Labbadia stressed, although many speculated that salary was a sticking point.
“There was no more talk about pay. But there were some organizational things that were problematic, he said. But eventually, as mounting problems arose, he decided to leave the role, saying he found it uncomfortable.
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AFCON and World Cup’s Missed Opportunity
He also added, ‘I am extremely eager and excited to coach the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup.’ I
ncredibly, he was drawn by the possibility of managing a team that can achieve a strong impact on the international stage and felt the Nigerian team can compete with the world’s best.
Augustine Eguavoen Interim Leadership with the Super Eagles
NFF Technical Director Augustine Eguavoen was handed temporary charge of the Super Eagles as Labbadia’s appointment failed to materialize.
Under his leadership, the team recently secured a 1-0 victory over Libya, positioning them at the top of their AFCON qualifying group.
