Chelle Explains Super Eagles Pay Rise Request, Says $130,000 Salary Covers Staff Costs

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has defended his request for a significant salary increase, explaining that the proposed figure of $130,000 per month is not solely for his personal earnings but also covers the wages of his technical staff.

Speaking on the Histores de Foot podcast, Chelle addressed the controversy surrounding his demand, which would raise his pay from $50,000 to $130,000, a move that has sparked outrage among Nigerian fans.

Chelle clarified that in African football, national team coaches often shoulder the responsibility of paying their assistants.

He revealed that his support team includes an assistant coach, a physical trainer, a goalkeeper coach, and a personal assistant, all of whom are essential to managing the pressures of leading a national side representing more than 250 million people.

‘In the $130,000 offered, potentially, if those numbers are confirmed, you have to pay your staff with all that behind. We are five,’ he explained.

The coach compared the scale of responsibility to managing a nation far larger than France, noting that the immense pressure requires a structure around him to cope. He argued that just as players now employ personal trainers, coaches too need support systems to withstand the demands of the job.

‘Sometimes I can’t manage the pressure alone. So, I put a structure in place around me that will allow me to manage this pressure. All these people, well, you have to pay them,’ he said.

Chelle also emphasized that the figure is part of a negotiation process, not a final demand.

‘Above all, the most important point is that it’s not my job, I’m a coach. But when you negotiate a contract, do you go as high as possible or as low as possible? So, today, it’s a negotiation. We’re getting there,’ he concluded.