Nigerian Football Authorities are searching for money to pay their newly recruited Swedish Coach, Lars Lagerback following the manager’s insistence on being paid a commensurate paycheck for the four months contract which terminates after the 2010 World Cup.
Africansportsdigest.com investigation showed that Lagerback had demanded for a over $250,000 as taken home pay every month plus tax exemption, but the NFA negotiation team felt it was too much for them to handle.
However, after consultations with top government functionaries and the presidency a middle course agreement was reached and the coach happily announced that he would resume immediately, but with a proviso to officially inform his family in person before returning back to duty post in Nigeria.
A top source in the interview panel disclosed to africansportsdigest.com that Lageback toppled Bruno Metsu, Glen Hoddles and former England manager, Sven Goran Ericsson because of his wide knowledge of Nigerian players and contacts with others, who are not well known yet.
“He got the job because any coach coming in now must be ready to get a team ready for the World Cup immediately. He has good idea of Nigerian players and a better programme for the three months prior to the Mundial,” Our sources disclosed.
The 61-year-old was interviewed on Friday and named after a meeting of the NFF board in Abuja, Nigeria early Saturday.
He takes over from Shuaibu Amodu, who was sacked after Nigeria losing 1-0 to Ghana in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals last month.
Lagerback joined the Sweden Football Association in 1990, with a special focus on the country’s junior teams.
He later took over the Sweden B team in 1996 and stayed there until 1998 when Tommy Soderberg invited him as assistant coach for Sweden.
In 2000, he was promoted to the position of joint-coach, a responsibility he would share with Soderberg until 2004.
During his tenure, Sweden qualified for Euro 2000, but lost in the group stages. In 2002, he led Sweden to the World Cup, where they lost to Senegal. Sweden then qualified for Euro 2004 reaching the quarterfinals where they lost to the Netherlands and two years later Lagerback took Sweden to their fourth consecutive championship, the first time in their history.
He also guided Sweden to Euro 2008 where they were eliminated in the group stage after losing 2-0 to Russia. Lagerback resigned after failing to qualify Sweden for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa where Nigeria have been grouped with Argentina, Greece and South Korea.