Bruno Labbadia: NFF Agreement Collapses After Contract Negotiations Falter
In a surprising move, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has appointed Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, after leading contenders Janne Andersson and Herve Renard were ruled out.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles on Sunday morning, a surprising move given that Labbadia had not been previously linked to the position. At the time, the leading contenders for the role were Swede Janne Andersson and Frenchman Herve Renard. However, when it became evident that neither Andersson nor Renard would be available, the NFF began exploring other options.
According to reports, NFF officials held discussions with several other candidates, including Greece coach Gustavo Poyet, former Jose Mourinho assistant Aitor Karanka, and former Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro. Despite these discussions, the NFF appeared to have settled on Labbadia, with the NFF Secretary General, Mohamed Sanusi, issuing a brief statement that seemed to finalize the decision.
“The Executive Committee of the NFF has approved the recommendation of the Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the head coach of the Super Eagles. This appointment is effective immediately,” the statement read.
However, just a few days later, German media outlet Kicker reported that the deal had fallen through. It was revealed that Labbadia demanded the NFF cover his taxes both in Nigeria and Germany, a stipulation the NFF was not willing to meet. As a result, the contract negotiations collapsed, raising questions about why the NFF had issued an official statement before finalizing the deal.
Victor Oluwafemi, Head of Content at Football411, expressed his frustration: “It is surprising and shameful that the NFF Executive Board announced a new coach without signing the contract. This shows indecisiveness and a lack of seriousness about the Super Eagles’ management. It’s been over 70 days without appointing a manager. We will be lucky to beat Benin in the upcoming qualifiers.”
Solace Chukwu, the AfrikFoot NG Field Coordinator, echoed these sentiments, stating, “This is just the latest example of the instability that has characterized the NFF’s handling of the national team. Even if Labbadia wasn’t the perfect choice, the process has been chaotic. Now, it’s unclear what will happen next.”
With the Super Eagles set to play two crucial African Cup of Nations qualifiers during the upcoming international break, the team is left in a precarious position. Nigeria will host the Benin Republic before facing Rwanda three days later. Given the current uncertainty, it’s likely that interim coach Austin Eguavoen will lead the team for both matches. Chukwu noted that if Eguavoen secures two positive results, it could pave the way for a local coach to be appointed on a full-time basis, even if it’s not Eguavoen himself.
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