The recent debacle involving Sam Allardyce will probably go down as one of the biggest scandals to have rocked the English Football Association.
Allardyce, 61, quit his role as Three Lions boss on Tuesday for among other wrongdoings explaining on camera how to dodge FA third-party ownership.
The ex-Bolton gaffer might be the most hated man in England at the moment but could be pardoned considering about eight other Premier League coaches were alleged to be involved in similar dealings.
However, this recent revelation should serve as an eye-opener for other coaches especially Nigerians who as a matter of fact do even worst on a daily basis when compared to Allardyce but yet go unpunished.
Here are five key lessons for Nigerian coaches from the recent fiasco involving Big Sam.
- Take a bow when you’ve been implicated
Maybe not obtainable in this part, but this is one habit synonymous with the western world. They walk away whenever an allegation comes up trying to dent their reputation – whereas it is the contrary in Nigeria. Allardyce didn’t even wait for the verdict of the FA but chose to resign honourably.
- Admit wrongdoing
Aside quitting his role, the gaffer also admitted to wrongdoings without trying to debate the obvious.
“Obviously I have to do this before I go away. On reflection it was a silly thing to do,” the embattled tactician said on Wednesday.
In Nigeria, the coach might have probably taken the matter to court and even when video evidence are glaring, the gaffer might ignorantly claim it’s ‘technology’.
- Bungs shouldn’t be condoned in football
The Allardyce saga has certainly unveiled another appalling aspect of the English game – which is bribery and corruption. It is alleged that the former West Ham boss alongside several past and present Premier League managers were paid for player transfers. This is a practice very common in Nigeria especially in the domestic league in which there aren’t any regulatory checks on player transfers.
- Never take the media for granted
Allardyce would have probably completed his two-year contract with England and possibly extended the deal had it been he wasn’t implicated by the media. The 61-year-old was filmed by The Daily Telegraph offering to give advice on how to get around on FA rules on player third party ownership and negotiating a £400,000 deal. He was involved in similar incidence 10 years ago when BBC alleged he received bungs from agents for signing certain players.
- Watch what you say off the camera
The role of a football coach is a very delicate one today and should be taken with utmost sternness. All these menace would have been avoided had Allardyce been more careful when he was off the spotlight. Aside the incidence regarding player transfers, video footage also appeared to show Allardyce mocking predecessor, Roy Hodgson, calling Prince Harry “a very naughty boy” and accusing the FA of being “all about making money”.
