The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially appointed German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, Nigeria’s senior men’s national team. This announcement was made early Tuesday morning, marking the end of the NFF's extensive search for a new leader for the former African champions.
In an official statement, the NFF confirmed that Labbadia has accepted the role and will assume his duties immediately.
"The Nigeria Football Federation has reached an agreement with Bruno Labbadia to become the Head Coach of the Super Eagles," the statement reads. "NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, stated: ‘The NFF Executive Committee has approved the recommendation of its Technical and Development Sub-Committee to appoint Mr. Bruno Labbadia as the Head Coach of the Super Eagles. The appointment is with immediate effect.’"
This appointment follows the departure of Finidi George, a former Ajax winger, who briefly managed the team.
German, Bruno Labbadia, becomes 37th Head Coach of the @NGSuperEagles
— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) August 27, 2024
The Nigeria Football Federation has announced that it has reached an agreement with German tactician, Bruno Labbadia, to become the Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men National Team, Super Eagles. pic.twitter.com/AKq92upW4g
Bruno Labbadia, a former striker, had an illustrious playing career with stints at FC Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, and Bayern Munich. He won the DFB-Pokal with Kaiserslautern and secured a Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. Labbadia also earned two caps for the German national team before retiring from professional football in 2003.
Transitioning seamlessly into coaching, Labbadia has managed several top German clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, and Wolfsburg. His most recent role was as head coach of VfB Stuttgart, where he served from December 2022 until April 2023.
Labbadia’s first task as the Super Eagles head coach will be to lead the team in their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda next month.
