By Amosu Adeboye, LAGOS
Gernot Rohr will take a pay cut to continue as Nigeria’s coach, but he has two offers on the table if he cannot come to an agreement regarding a new contract with the Super Eagles.
Rohr’s current deal ends on June 30, and he has been offered a fresh contract by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), with some modified clauses. Under the terms of the new deal, the German is expected to reside in Nigeria and be paid in local currency. He will also take a wage cut.
Rohr has no problems with those conditions.
“I never talk about my contract in public, as you know,” Rohr told ESPN.
“But I heard like everybody what was said by President [Amaju] Pinnick, that I have to accept to be paid in naira, and I have to be resident in Nigeria. I agree to these two things, and even I agree to have a lower salary.
“I am not doing my job for money. I am doing my job because I like it. Because we have built a team like you know, and money is not the most important. But I also have to look after my assistants.
“I accept because I think that my mission in Nigeria is not finished yet, and I know very well my players. I know very well the officials. We are now just like a family, and I think it is good to continue especially in this period now where it is difficult to change, to travel, to see new people.”
Rohr would not say how much of a cut he is taking from his $US55,000 salary but he made it clear that his three assistants are also paid from his wages and not by the NFF.
“For me it is a little bit special because, as you know, with my salary, we are four people. It is not only me. I have my three assistants, Tunde Adelakun, Nabil Trabelsi and also Jean Luc Royer. I can speak in the name of my assistants because we are in touch all the time.
“Like I told you, I don’t speak in public about it. I never spoke about my salary, I only saw that it has been published. But it’s for four people and not only for me. A lot of people don’t know that.”
