The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Tuesday, confirmed German tactician, Gernot Rohr, as new technical adviser of the Super Eagles.
Rohr, 63, joins the likes of Clemens Westerhorf, Jo Bonfrere and another German, Berti Vogts in the elite list of expatriates to manage the three-time African champions.
He will be assisted by indigenous gaffer, Salisu Yusuf, in the capacity of head coach.
According to the NFF, Rohr’s outstanding track record as coach and player gave him the edge over his contemporaries. But what are the things Nigerians need to know about the former defender?
Here are five things about him the NFF is not playing up.
- He is unproven at any level
Despite Rohr’s remarkable experience as coach, the gaffer is still unproven at any level. In Europe, he failed with several clubs before switching to Africa. On the continent, he performed so badly that he was fired by four teams ranked lower than Nigeria – including Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Gabon and Tunisian club, Etoile du Sahel.
- Never won a title
Another big headache for Nigerians is that Rohr has never won any title as coach. The closest he got was to the UEFA Cup final in 1996 with Girondins Bordeaux where they were hammered over both legs by Bayern Munich. Apart from that, it was relegation battles and mid table finishes.
- He is better as an administrator
One area Nigerians should celebrate about is that Rohr is an incredibly talented administrator. Prior to his confirmation as Super Eagles coach, he was in charge of developmental programmes for German Football Association (DFB). He also had a brief stint as sports director of German club, Eintracht Frankfurt.
- Makes risky moves
World class managers are known for taking calculated risk and gladly, Rohr falls into that category. The former Bayern Munich star made a career threatening move when he left French side Ajacio to coach in Africa with Etoile in 2008. He then made another shocking move to takeover at Gabon despite having a contract with Nantes.
- Glory days was in France
Rohr’s best days as footballer and coach were not in his native Germany, but in France. As player, he made almost four centuries of appearances for Bordeaux after enduring a torrid time at Bayern. As coach, he had three stints at The Girondins and also coached three other French sides in Nice, Ajaccio and Nantes.
