‘Referees, coaches who refuse change will be thrown out’

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick has warned football administrators, coaches and referees who refuse to identify with the wind of change currently blowing in the nation’s football sector to count themselves out, as the Federation would not hesitate to show them the exit door.

Pinnick, who was speaking at the weekend, ahead of this week’s meeting of the Executive Committee scheduled for Lagos, said the series of programmes and initiatives undertaken by his administration were aimed at bringing positive changes to the nation’s football sector, and that coaches and administrators who fail to identify swiftly with the new vision of doing things differently and in the interest of the nation’s football will be told in no uncertain terms to give way.

“What we intend to achieve at the end of the day, is in the interest of the coaches, the national teams, the administrators, the referees and the game generally. Everyone who has the interest of the game at heart will easily key into these programmes. Those who will find it difficult are the people who have been used to impunity and have mortgaged the interest of our football for personal interest over the years. They will be thrown overboard without a second glance.

“I use this opportunity to call on all the stakeholders of the Nigeria game, including our vibrant media, to support the NFF as we move to arrest the decline and work hard to put Nigeria football on the road to an enviable destination,” he said.

Besides that, Pinnick said the NFF Executive Committee is looking at ways of improving the local football league, national teams and put in place credible ways of employing coaches and taking care of their welfare.

“There are a lot of things that we want to do, and which we hope to seal at the meeting in Lagos. There is urgent need to buoy the domestic League, give it credibility and implement those measures that will bring back the glory days. We also must think of how best to prepare the national teams for competitions, while also looking intensely at developmental programmes that will assure the future of our football.

“We must look at the way and manner we employ coaches into the national teams; everything should be appropriately documented in order that we avoid litigations and situations of trainers being unhappy while doing their job. There must be a lot of professionalism in all these.”

The NFF boss also hinted at the Federation paying greater attention to player transfers, especially internationally.