The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have announced Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The confirmation of Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Nigeria senior national team marks the end of a prolonged search for a permanent manager for the three-time African champions.
“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 effective immediately,” the NFF statement reads.
Labbadia’s appointment fills the void left after former Ajax star and Super Eagles legend Finidi George resigned as head coach. Since the departure of Findi George, the Super Eagles have been without a permanent manager, prompting the NFF’s search for a seasoned tactician.
Recall Finidi George threw in the towel after coming under pressure from the NFF following Nigeria’s struggles in 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He was technically demoted as head coach after the NFF reportedly opted for a technical adviser.
Who is the new Super Eagles head coach, Bruno Labbadia?
Bruno Labbadia is a German professional football manager. Born in Darmstadt, West Germany, in 1966, Labbadia began his career with Darmstadt, a hometown club, in 1984.
He made 105 Bundesliga appearances for the club, scoring 44 goals. The 58-year-old had spells with top German clubs such as Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Hamburger and others before calling time on his career in 1995.
Bruno Labbadia Managerial career
After his playing career, Labbadia transitioned into coaching, where he managed several Bundesliga sides, including Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, and Wolfsburg. His latest role was with VfB Stuttgart, where he was appointed in December 2022 but was dismissed in April 2023 after a difficult run of results.
Labbadia’s immediate focus will be preparing the Super Eagles for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda in September 2024. The German tactician is expected to bring stability and new energy to the squad as Nigeria aims for success on the continental stage.
Bruno Labbadia’s style of play
Bruno Labbadia is not the finest of managers in German football but is renowned for his tactical ingenuity. The former Bayer Leverkusen manager deploys a pragmatic and flexible style of play with no dominant formation.
At Bayer Leverkusen, Labbadia frequently flipped from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-1 formation, depending on the tempo of the game. His ability to adapt tactical strategy to the team’s strength reportedly gave him an advantage against other candidates who were earmarked for the Super Eagles job.
Can Bruno Labbadia change the fortunes of Nigeria’s Super Eagles?
Labbadia will face a huge task reversing the recent downward trend of the Super Eagles squad. Nigeria is second from bottom in Group C in World Cup qualifiers, having drawn three matches and losing one.
Labbadia will hope to turn things around in the competition for the Super Eagles. Meanwhile, his first test match will be against Benin Republic in AFCON qualifiers on September 7, 2024. Only time will determine whether the German will reverse Nigeria’s dwindling football fortunes.
Bruno Labbadia personal life
Not much is known about Labbadia’s private life. The former footballer rarely makes a public appearance with his family. However, in 2017, he broke the protocol and posed with his wife Sylvia Labbadia in Hamburg. They reportedly have two children together Luca and Jessica Labbadia.
Bruno Labbadia honors
As a player, Bruno Labbadia won the DfB-Pokal with FC Kaiserslautern in 1990. Four years later, he won the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. He has yet to win any trophy as a manager and Nigeria is his first managerial role in international football.
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