Bruno Labbadia’s much-publicised appointment as Nigeria’s new head coach has been called off after both parties decided to pull out of the deal.
Labbadia had been announced as the new head coach by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday, a tentative agreement considering the payment terms were yet to be ironed out.
The 58-year-old tactician was expected to lead Nigeria in the African Nations Cup double-header against Benin Republic and Rwanda next month.
According to the NFF, a deal was agreed but Labbadia’s demand for payment of his taxes in both countries (Nigeria and Germany) caused the deal to collapse.
They are said to be disappointed at the timing of the withdrawal, with just one week to the Super Eagles’ games against Benin Republic and Rwanda.
Labbadia, who previously managed Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, and a host of Bundesliga sides was an unpopular choice when the news broke, with many Nigerians citing his lack of managerial success and relative inexperience at national team level.
There is no indication of talks being resurrected at this point with the NFF likely to turn their attention elsewhere.
The Super Eagles host Benin on September 9, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium before traveling to Kigali to face Rwanda three days later
