Friday, March 7, 2008

NFA meet Globacom To Clear Vogts Ghost

Bigwigs of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) are billed to meet this morning with Globacom to intimate officials of the second national carrier of their plans for Berti Vogts.
Also expected at the meeting billed for 11 am at the firm’s corporate headquarters at Mike Adenuga Towers, Victoria Island is Globacom’s Chairman Dr. Mike Adenuga.
A FA Board member was in Lagos Monday to secure today’s appointment for the association to meet with the Globacom boss and other top officials of the telecoms outfit.
Dr. Adenuga, an avid football buff, is one of the NFA of the NFA and was instrumental in securing the services of the former German World Cup winner for the Glass House by agreeing to pick up his wage bill. After bringing the Globacom executives up to date on the current situation as regards Vogts, FA bigwigs will also raise the issue of compensation for the German tactician, whose status with the Glass House is still a subject of controversy.
The FA feels that it is only proper to brief Globacom, which is forking out €50, 000 a month on the Super Eagles sweat merchant, what it would likely cost to pay off the 1974 World Cup winner.
Glass House sources told press yesterday, that they were meeting their main sponsor because the Vogts’ issue was reaching its climax and there was need to plan for the future.
“In the next few weeks the Vogts’ issue would be resolved and there is need for us (FA) to plan for life after him. What is most pressing now is meeting our sponsor and intimating them of what likely financial commitment we will have as regards settling his compensation package. Since they have been kind enough to bankroll his salary it is only proper that we let them know the situation of things,” said the FA official.
Only last week Vogts wrote the National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Abdulrahaman Gimba to state his position and hint that he favoured FIFA arbitration in his face off with the FA. The NSC Chairman forwarded the letter to the Glass House last Friday asking for prompt action.
The FA is set to send its reply to the German this week. And at the behest of its lawyers will be seeking proper clarification as to whether Vogts’ had actually resigned as widely reported in the German media last month.
The Glass House is seeking this clarification because it will go a long way in determining how much compensation Vogts will be entitled to.
The FA has already given the German a 30-day notification to terminate his contract following the poor performance of the Eagles at Ghana 2008. The notification is expected to expire next week.
According to sources close to the German, Vogts in responding to the receipt of the notification said he was resigning rather than waiting to be fired. But the FA is insisting it was yet to formally receive the said resignation letter.
It is, however, clear that the German is reluctant to resign, because doing so could cost him a sizeable compensation fee from the FA.
According to FA officials if Vogts is resigning he will only be entitled to two months salary (about £100,000) and not the remainder of his contract, which the German is claiming.
The meeting between Globacom and NFA will go a long way in preparing the grounds for paying off the German who signed a three-year contract last February in London.

No comments: