The deal between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the new Super Eagles Coach Bruno Labbadia has been aborted.

The NFF had, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, announced an agreement with German tactician Labbadia to become the head coach of the Super Eagles.

However, the NFF, in a statement issued by its Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, on Friday, August 30, quoted President Musa Gusau as saying that the deal between the federation and Labbadia had been botched.

Gusau stated that stringent regulations of German tax authorities conspired to abort the agreement between the NFF and Labbadia.

The NFF President said: “We have been on the tax issue for the past three days.

“I told him clearly that there was no way the NFF will agree to offset the concomitant tax percentage on his salary that will be demanded by German tax authorities.

NFF appoints Bruno Labbadia as Super Eagles coach

“It is not possible for us to shoulder the responsibility of shelling out another money, between 32 per cent to 40 per cent of his salary, after paying the agreed monthly wage.

“The NFF and Labbadia reached an agreement in principle before we made the announcement that he would become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

“The tax details were never part of our discussions, and he had personally agreed to all terms before the tax issue came up.

“We were doing our best to be flexible in the discussions but he was adamant that the NFF had to pay the full tax amount as well. We simply cannot do that.”

Gusau added that with the latest development, the NFF Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen, will take charge of the Super Eagles.

Eguavoen will lead the team for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against Benin Republic in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on September 7, and Kigali in Rwanda on September 10.

This would be Eguavoen’s fourth stint in charge of the three-time African champions, after earlier experience in 2005 to 2007, 2010, and 2022.

The Star