Eric Chelle‘s demands for a new contract and an improved salary has received mixed reactions from fans and ex-Super Eagles stars as well, Soccernet.ng reports.
Olympic 1996 Gold medallist Garba Lawal has opined that the Franco-Malians' requests will be a hard one for the NFF to reach because he failed to win the AFCON 2025 tournament.
Chelle's financial demand sees his monthly income go up to $130,000, but the 48-year-old clarified that the fee is for himself and his backroom staff.
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Garba Lawal weighs in on Eric Chelle's contract demands
The former Esperance ST winger earned 57 caps for Nigeria in his playing days, but maintained that Chelle hasn't earned the grounds for an upper hand in the negotiations, because he failed to meet two of his core targets – a World Cup spot and the AFCON title.
“Nigeria is a stepping stone. When you coach Nigeria, even if you do it for free, it adds value to your CV. We know his CV is good, and people speak highly of him,” Garba Lawal said in quotes revealed by Brila.
“For me, he has to decide what he wants. He has a contract with the NFF and the federation. If he has made up his mind to leave, then it is better to let him go.
“If his mind is no longer in Nigeria, and he stays, it will be difficult for him to give his all. Why didn’t he make those demands at the beginning? Or when the contract expires?
“You cannot be halfway into a contract and start setting conditions for staying longer. Nobody told him to extend they only expect him to respect the agreement he signed,” the 51-year-old concluded.
Chelle, meanwhile, has expressed his shock at how the demands of his new contract has been made public.
