World football governing body, FIFA, has ordered the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to pay at least $1,045,000 USD (approximately N 433,873,550.00) to German Coach Gernot Rohr following his sacking last December.
Rohr was fired by the NFF on the eve of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, with the 62-year-old consequently dragging the country’s soccer body to FIFA over a $1m compensation for his ‘unfair’ dismissal.
According to The Nation, a close confidant of the sacked Super Eagles Coach revealed that FIFA had already ruled on the matter, claiming that the NFF had no ‘justifiable reason’ to terminate the former Bayern Munich defender’s contract.
Prior to his dismissal, Rohr had a contract that ran until the end of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup in December. He was reportedly last paid his $55,000 monthly salary in May 2021, which means the NFF owes him 19 months’ salary arrears, in addition to other allowances such as match bonuses.
Though the NFF claimed earlier this year that Rohr had been paid his accumulated wages in Naira in accordance with the terms of the new two-year contract he signed in 2020, it was learned that FIFA has ordered the NFF to pay all money owed to the former Bordeaux player and Coach in USD because he no longer resides in Nigeria.
“FIFA has ruled on the NFF-Rohr contract dispute case and you can cross check,” the reliable source close to Rohr told NationSport.
“FIFA to the best of my knowledge has sanctioned the NFF for ‘breach of contract without just cause’ and they (NFF) must pay all his remaining salaries in US Dollars until the end of his contract in December 2022.
“To the best of my knowledge, NFF has just 40 days to offset accumulated wages,” the source said.