Bruno Labbadia Debunks NFF’s Account, Gives Real Reason He Rejected Super Eagles Job
- Bruno Labbadia's appointment as Super Eagles head coach failed despite an official announcement
- The Nigerian Football Federation blamed stringent German tax laws as the reason why the agreement collapsed
- Labbadia has opened up on the collapsed deal and explained the real reason he rejected the vacant job
Bruno Labbadia has spoken about the failed agreement to take over as Super Eagles' new manager for the first time, explaining why he turned down the job.
The Nigerian Football Federation announced Labbadia as the new Super Eagles boss ahead of the September international break, but he never officially took over.
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According to BBC Sports, the NFF blamed the collapse on stringent German tax laws as it was not financially feasible for the federation to complete the deal.
Why Labbadia rejected Super Eagles' job
The former VfB Stuttgart head coach has cleared the air on why his agreement with the NFF collapsed, denying it was due to financial reasons, as early reported.
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“I wanted to go abroad. The basic requirement for me was: I have to go to Nigeria to see everything on site. And that was no longer possible after it was announced,” he told BILD.
“It was no longer about the pay. There were various organizational things that were problematic. And then things got tighter and tighter, so that I didn't have two days left for the meeting with the national team.”
He admitted that even though he had great conversations with the NFF, he felt things were not right, and he would not be able to give his all, which was why he turned it down.
“Then I pulled the ripcord because the feeling was getting worse and worse. I wanted to be there for four or five days before the team arrived to take a look at the conditions,” he added.
“They were great conversations. And what's important to me: It was solely due to my feeling that I didn't have the time I wanted to give 100 percent. That's why I declined.”
Despite the failed agreement, he posted a teaser on his Instagram page weeks after, leading many to believe talks were back on, but things never materialised.
Augustine Eguavoen has coached the team as interim head coach in the September and October international games, recording two wins against Benin Republic and Libya and one draw against Rwanda.
Rohr sends warning to Labbadia
Legit.ng reported that Gernot Rohr warned Bruno Labbadia that Nigeria is a different environment from his previous coaching experiences in the German Bundesliga when he was announced as the new boss.
The former Super Eagles manager hailed his compatriot as a very good manager and hoped he would be treated nicely by the NFF and football fans, but unfortunately, things did not progress.
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Source: Legit.ng
