-
Legendary Super Eagles player Sunday Oliseh has refuted allegations that former players received high salaries during their playing days.
-
Nigerians criticized Taribo West following his statement that the government neglects former international players.
-
Oliseh was among the first Nigerian players to make their way into European football during the early 1990s.
A legendary figure from the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh, has responded to allegations that his era earned significant wealth during their playing days following the debates surrounding Peter Rufai’s funeral.
Taribo West caused debate when he stated that the government fails to support retired soccer players even though they contributed to the nation.
According to Vanguard, the ex-defender of both AC Milan and Inter Milan voiced these statements during Peter Rufai’s funeral, receiving support from other retired players such as Augustine Eguavoen.
Nigerian supporters criticized him along with others, arguing that they squandered their opportunities throughout their professional lives and have become overly self-assured even though they were fairly compensated for their work.
Sunday Oliseh refutes former players’ assertions about their earnings
Ex-international Oliseh has refuted the significant allegations that former internationals from the 1990s earned substantial amounts of money but ended up bankrupt after retiring from football.
Oliseh, among the initial Nigerian athletes to compete in Europe, stated that as trailblazers, his group committed several expensive errors.
“Individuals think we earned a lot of money, but this was not true. Upon arriving in Europe, we received low pay,” he mentioned during the Global Insights Podcast.
The ex-Juventus player used himself as an illustration, highlighting the cultural surprise he experienced upon receiving his initial paycheck at RFC Liège in Belgium.
“I signed my first contract with FC Liege for a monthly salary of $1,000,” he added.
When I converted it into Nigerian Naira, when they presented it to me, I signed it right away because I felt comfortable; this was going to resolve many issues back home for my family, for me, and everything else.
When the first month arrived and I received my paycheck, I got 750 dollars. I visited the office and confronted the accountant, claiming he had made an error. I had signed a $1,000 agreement, so why did you pay me only 750?
“He said there was nothing amiss and that I needed to cover taxes, insurance, healthcare, and all related expenses. These were the types of mistakes we committed since we weren’t aware of it. We didn’t dispute the fact that we received good compensation thanks to our contract restrictions,” he added.
Oliseh mentioned that the so-called “highly paid” compensation for playing with the national team was inaccurate, stating that their game incentives varied between $1,000 to $3,000, with several players objecting before receiving the payment.
The income of Taribo West in 1999 comes into focus
LFHCK.ID.ng
It was previously mentioned that Taribo West’s salary in 1999 came to light following his criticism of the government for failing to support former international players.
A former soccer player who now serves as a pastor was said to have made ₦193 million during his last season with AC Milan prior to moving to rival team Inter Milan.
