German football coach, Bruno Labbadia has clarified that money was not the primary reason for his decision to decline the opportunity to coach the Nigerian national football team.
Labbadia was on the verge of being appointed as the Super Eagles’ head coach but withdrew after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) prematurely announced the deal in the media.
While initial reports suggested unresolved tax issues influenced his decision, Labbadia has since explained the actual reasons behind his choice. “I wanted to go abroad. My main requirement was to visit Nigeria and see everything on-site, but that became impossible after the announcement,” he stated in an interview with Martin Harnik for Bild.
“It was no longer about the salary. There were various organizational issues that complicated matters. The situation became increasingly constrained, and I no longer had two days to meet with the national team. That’s when I decided to pull out because I felt increasingly uncomfortable.”
Following Labbadia’s withdrawal, the NFF has appointed Austin Eguavoen as the interim head coach of the Super Eagles.
