Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle under fire over alleged $130,000 salary request

Fresh controversy has engulfed Nigerian football following reports that Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr, not Eric Chelle, is seeking a significant pay rise and expanded benefits to remain in charge of the national team.

The Malian tactician is said to have tabled a proposal that would see his monthly salary increase to $130,000, alongside additional provisions such as accommodation, a vehicle, guaranteed power supply, travel arrangements for his family, and greater authority over football operations.

The claims have triggered sharp reactions across the football community, with administrators and former internationals weighing in on whether such terms are justified.

Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, a former Gombe State FA chairman, questioned both the timing and substance of the reported demands.

Speaking to The Guardian, he argued that the Super Eagles brand carries more weight than any individual coach.

According to him, the national team has elevated Chelle’s profile rather than the other way around. He further suggested that rumoured links to Olympique de Marseille may have been exaggerated to strengthen the coach’s negotiating position.

"I don't think it is okay," Gara-Gombe told The Guardian. "This man just came to Nigeria to boost his CV. I said it before that the Super Eagles is too big for Chelle. The Super Eagles raised Chelle to the global stage, not him raising the team, and he now wants to 'blackmail' us."

He added, "It is so obvious now that Chelle just created a phantom story around Olympique Marseille and a few days after, his ridiculous demands came. We are not fools. If he wants to go, let him go. I have not seen any impact he made on the Super Eagles."