Former NFF member and head technical department, Barrister Chris Green, has lampooned Super Eagles head coach, Gernot Rohr for not doing enough to justify the support and huge salary he has received from the Nigeria Football Federation in the past four years.
Speaking exclusively to sports247.ng, Green began by questioning NFF’s new demand that the German coach reside in Nigeria, as well as, scouting local players for the national team.
” Why was this clause not in the first two contracts that he signed. Is it not implied that you will reside in the country of your employment?
” Well if the NFF insists on that, they are absolutely right and would want to get the best out of him, as well as, develop our domestic players.
Concerning Rohr’s salary and the desire of the NFF to pay the former Bordeaux player in the local currency, the seasoned football administrator described the matter, like same of the same.
” My problem is not paying him in Nigerian currency but the amount. Whatever you pay him can be changed to dollars. It’s same of the same and how has that helped our economy. Honestly, as an expatriate he has a right to be paid in the currency of his choice,” he remarked.
Speaking characteristically in his no holds barred manner, he queried the moves by NFF to extend Rohr’s contract, rather than sack him. He was also quick to add that the German has not done enough to justify his pay since becoming the Super Eagles handler in four years.
” What is not clear to me is the worry to extend his contract. We are not talking of sack here but extension. If his contract ends, he is free to go unless my guys in the NFF are satisfied with his scorecard or result.
” Are you telling me that Nigerians are satisfied with Rohr for winning nothing with the Super Eagles for 4 years and earning a whopping $55,000. As an expatriate, I would have expected that he would have performed better than our nationals.
” If you paid him that amount just to qualify the Super Eagles for tournaments, then we can as well pay same to any of our coaches and get the same result. That one will be more beneficial to a Nigerian coach than for an expatriate to just qualify us to tournaments, failed to get to the second round of the World Cup and then achieving a modest 3rd place in AFCON.
Green, stated that in view of the unalloyed support Rohr enjoyed under Pinnick’s led NFF, he has not lived up to the expectations of his employers.
” I don’t think this is what the present NFF wants. Aminu Maigari won almost everything with the Super Eagles, and also with Nigerian coaches in the lower cadres. I know Pinnick is passionately in dire need of winning the AFCON, and other global titles.
” Let him look for a world-class coach to make the present crop of the Super Eagles players invincible. He can achieve this, I tell you,” Green enthused.