Eric Chelle Names 4 Staff Members He Pays From His Salary Amid Demands for $130K
- Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed the four members of his staff he pays from his own salary
- Chelle recently submitted a 19-point proposal to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to renew his contract
- Nigerians raised eyebrows at the demand for a huge $130,000 per month salary, which the manager has now justified
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed the members of his staff whom he pays from his salary after requesting a huge salary to renew his contract.
Chelle signed a two-year contract when the NFF appointed him as Super Eagles coach on January 7, 2025 and was tasked with the responsibility of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Source: Getty Images
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the World Cup, losing to DR Congo on penalties in the final of the African playoff, thus competitively ending their quest.
Nigerians were divided over whether to keep him as the manager, but the NFF kept faith in him to lead the team to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Franco-Malian coach led Nigeria to finish third, beating Egypt on penalties to win the bronze medal match, a spot lower than the second-place finish in 2023.
Nigerians were again divided; some wanted him out for failing his second objectives, while others believed that the team's performance showed promise.
The NFF yet again kept faith in him based on the Super Eagles’ performance in Morocco, but showed restraint in discussing a new contract.
However, a leaked document to the Nigerian media showed a 19-point demand by the manager to accept a new contract from the federation.
The most eye-catching item on the leaked document was a new salary of $130,000 per month, up from the $55,000 he currently earns since January 2025.
NFF reacted to the document and admitted that most of the items are already covered under his current deal, but did not comment on the salary demand.
Chelle justifies salary demands
Chelle had earlier spoken about the leak, questioning what the document was doing in the media. The manager reiterated his concerns in an interview with Canal+, particularly about the salary demands.
“What is this document doing on social media?” he said as quoted by Foot Africa. “When people read $130,000, they might be surprised.”
He went ahead to clarify that the salary also covers his technical staff, whom he pays from his salary and named the roles of his backroom staff.
“What everyone needs to know is that I pay the wages of my technical staff. There are five of us: an assistant coach, a fitness coach, a goalkeeping coach, and another person responsible for preparing me mentally to deal with pressure and stress.”
Source: Getty Images
Even if the terms are not agreed to, Chelle will continue in his role until the end of his current deal and confirmed that he will be in charge of the four-nation invitational tournament in Jordan, as announced by the NFF.
NFF insider's update on Chelle's future
Legit.ng previously reported that an NFF insider spoke about Chelle’s future as Super Eagles head coach after his new contract demands leaked to the media.
The source claimed that the federation is calm about his demands because he remains under contract and will fulfil it even if not granted an extension.
Source: Legit.ng
