AUSTIN Eguavoen will return as Super Eagles coach after the Nigeria Football Federation’s deal to apppoint German Bruno Labbadia was called off.
Labbadia was announced as the new head coach on Tuesday to replace Bruno Labbadia, but the NFF has now said German tax laws have scuppered the deal.
“Stringent regulations of German tax authorities have conspired to abort the agreement between the Nigeria Football Federation and Coach Bruno Labbadia for the latter to mount the saddle as Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men Team, Super Eagles,” the NFF said in a press release tonight.
“We have been on the tax issue for the past three days, and 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 President Ibrahim Gusau explained.
“It is not possible for us to shoulder the responsibility of shelling out another money, between 32% to 40% of his salary, after paying the agreed monthly wage.
“The NFF and Mr. 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.”
The NFF has therefore turned to its Technical Director Eguavoen to take charge of the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin Republic in Uyo on September 7 and Rwanda in Kigali three days later.
It will be Eguavoen’s fourth spell in charge of the three-time African champions, after earlier experience in 2005-2007, 2010 and 2022.
