The Super Eagles Head Coach deal with Bruno Labbadia, previously set to go through, has been confirmed as collapsed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The NFF had declared earlier this week about securing an agreement with the German coach, but Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications for the organization disclosed in a recent statement that unanticipated problems related to German tax rules ultimately caused the deal’s downfall.
The reason for the hindrance was primarily due to the hefty tax requests from German officials, which proved difficult for the NFF to comply with, according to Musa Gusau, President of NFF.
Gusau stated that they had spent the last three days tackling the tax issue. He clarified that it was infeasible for NFF to bear the supplementary 32-40% tax on his income, even after finalizing his monthly remuneration. Managing this additional monetary obligation was beyond their means.
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Initially, the tax implications were not addressed by Gusau and Labbadia as they had already come to an agreement on other terms. According to Gusau, Labbadia agreed to all conditions before the issue of tax came up. Despite their best efforts at offering some leeway in this regard, it was impossible for NFF (Nigerian Football Federation)to comply with his demand that they fully cover the incurred taxes,” he stated.
With this advancement, the NFF has designated Augustine Eguavoen, their Technical Director, as the temporary coach. In the forthcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games against Benin Republic in Uyo on September 7 and Rwanda in Kigali on September 10th., Mr. Eguavoen will guide the Super Eagles squad.
Eguavoen has served as the head coach of the Super Eagles four times, including prior runs in 2005-2007, 2010, and now in 2022.
