'That's why I declined' - Bruno Labbadia reveals the real reason he pulled out of Nigeria deal

German football tactician Bruno Labbadia has revealed the reason behind his decision to withdraw from the deal to become the coach of the Nigeria men's national team.  

The ex-Hamburger SV striker was initially named as the head coach for the Nigeria men's national team in preparation for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda in September.

Nonetheless, the agreement between Labbadia and the Nigeria Football Federation fell through over reported financial disagreements.

Labbadia has however shared insight on the reason both parties failed to reach an agreement despite the announcement.

In an interview with Martin Harnik via Bild, Labbadia explained that his desire to coach abroad was a major factor in his decision.

He had wanted to visit Nigeria in person to assess the conditions before committing to the job, but this was no longer possible after the announcement was made.

“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," Labbadia stated.

Contrary to speculation about financial differences being the cause of the breakdown in negotiations, Labbadia insisted that it was more about organizational issues that made it difficult for him to fulfil his obligations.

"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. 

"Then I pulled the ripcord because the feeling was getting worse and worse."

He continued: "I wanted to be there for four or five days before the team arrived to take a look at the conditions."

Despite expressing that the conversations with the Nigeria Football Federation were positive, Labbadia ultimately decided that he needed more time to fully commit to the role.

He wanted to be able to give 100 percent to the job, but felt that he wasn't given the opportunity to do so due to time constraints

"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."

Following Labbadia's withdrawal, Austin Eguavoen was appointed as the interim coach of the Super Eagles and has since delivered positive results in the team's AFCON qualifying campaign.

Adeyemi Adewale

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