'I confirm they are legitimate' — Eric Chelle breaks silence on leaked NFF contract

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has broken his silence on one of Nigerian football's most talked-about controversies in recent months, the leak of sensitive contract documents detailing his negotiations with the Nigeria Football Federation. 

And while Chelle confirmed the documents are real, the mystery of how they ended up in the public domain remains very much unsolved.

"Today, if I'm being honest, I don't really know," Chelle admitted when pressed on the source of the leak. "The first question I ask myself is how this document could have ended up in the media. That's the question I'm asking myself."

It is a question, it appears, nobody has yet been able to answer.

Chelle wasted no time addressing the most important detail, whether the documents circulating online were genuine or fabricated. His response was direct.

"At one point, documents did surface online related to this issue. I confirm they are legitimate."

The confirmation adds a new dimension to a story that had already captured the attention of Nigerian football supporters and media. 

Private negotiation documents between a national team coach and his federation do not find their way into the public domain by accident. Chelle himself suggested the leak may have been part of a calculated campaign designed to damage his reputation and skew public perception before his tenure had properly begun.

Whether that theory proves correct remains to be seen. What is beyond doubt is that the breach of confidentiality has forced a conversation that both parties would almost certainly have preferred to avoid.

The detail that ignited the most debate was the reported $130,000 monthly salary and accompanying travel allowances. 

For many Nigerian football supporters, the figure raised immediate questions about value, priorities, and what the NFF considers appropriate compensation at a time when the federation faces constant scrutiny over its financial management.

The headline figure, he insisted, is not a personal windfall. In line with standard structures across African football, the sum covers his entire technical staff, a group of coaches, analysts, and support personnel for whom he bears direct financial responsibility out of his own contract.

"I have neither asked for more nor less than what I am entitled to," he stated.

It is the response of a man who arrived at the negotiating table with a clear understanding of his market value and refused to apologise for it. Managing the Super Eagles is not a club appointment.

It carries a different weight of expectation, a different level of public scrutiny, and a different operational demand. Building a professional support structure around a national team costs money. Chelle's argument is simply that the figures reflect that reality.

As if one leaked document was not enough, reports of a potential move to Olympique de Marseille also surfaced in the same wave of controversy — adding a layer of uncertainty around Chelle's commitment to the Super Eagles project at a time when he had barely had time to settle in.

The coach acknowledged that documents related to Marseille had also circulated, but was careful to frame them as standard industry negotiations rather than any indication of imminent departure. 

He made no secret of his deep affection for the French club, describing a long-standing personal connection to Marseille that predates his coaching career. But for now, he insisted, the focus remains on Nigeria.

The timing of this controversy is far from ideal. Chelle is preparing his squad for the Four-Nation Tournament in Jordan next month, a critical window to build tactical cohesion and blood new talent ahead of future qualification campaigns.

Distractions of this nature, arriving in the early weeks of a new coaching tenure, have derailed national team projects before. The NFF owes their coach and Nigerian football supporters, a thorough investigation into how private negotiation documents found their way into the media. Chelle, for his part, appears determined to keep his eyes on the football.