Former Nigeria coach, Fanny Amun told Brila.net in a recent interview that government isn’t responsible for players after retirement.
The 62-year-old described the situation as trade by barter.
He said when footballers were active they were playing well and earning millions, adding that many of them don’t plan well after retirement, and when they go broke or bankrupt, they blame the government or federation:
“It is trade by barter, I always say it. When they were performing, the federation and the government were taking care of them, even me too. So you don’t need to be putting the blame on people.
“Let’s stop all those issues that don’t make any sense. They were using business cards to pay them allowances and everything, and they rendered the service very effectively, no doubt about that. The place I am today, no one made me — you have to make yourself.
“So please, example, Segun Odegbami and other players that are doing well for themselves are there and are doing fine. Do you mean it’s government that is doing it for us? The problem we have is that we refuse to diversify.
“I own a share in a media outlet, I own a consultancy firm and other things. Do you mean I waited for the Nigerian Football Federation to come and give me money? Government are very efficient and very good to all of us, it was a privilege. We were not the best, and it was trade by barter.”
Sam Sodje, a former Nigeria international who played for Leeds United and Brentford, backed Amun, but emphasized the government’s responsibility to put the right people in place.
Sodje insists there should be a body necessary for empowering players after retirement:
“I am sure you know I am really strong when it comes to issues of life after sport. I got a company called Life After Sport where I look after ex-players, so this is my topic, it’s what I do and I will explain to you.
“First of all, it’s a no-go area for an ex-player or sporting individual to speak to a fan, because you will never understand, but I will try my best to explain to you.
“Only an ex-player will understand an ex-player saying things. Let me give you an example: no government or NFF should take care of ex-players. The NFF are there to make sure the football in the country goes well.
“In England the government doesn’t take care of players; there is something called the PFA. And the PFA, as I speak to you right now, I still get looked after by the PFA, and I finished in 2013/2014. I still get pensions from the PFA.
“They are not the government, they are the Professional Football Association. So when players are talking, they aren’t saying the government should take care of them.
“In Nigeria the government are the people that run football. All we want in Nigeria is to get the right people that respect sports, to be able to look after the legends of the game in our country. And it doesn’t have to be financial, because when people talk about sports they always talk about money — it doesn’t have to be money. I just came from one sporting director course, it was paid by the PFA.
“It’s difficult for me to explain to you because you will probably not understand. We aren’t asking for free beans, we aren’t asking the government to give us things for free.
“We are saying if the structure of sports in the country is properly done, the players will look after themselves.”
