Nigeria-born UEFA (A) licensed coach, Warwick Brunks has expressed optimism that the 2017 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season will be a successful one, only if the football authorities can learn from the previous errors.
The former Saint Etienne of France and Elfborg FC of Sweden coach says the referees association should also demonstrate transparency in its entirety.
“There are some so-called philanthropists who try to dictate the outcome of each game and this act will affect managers and players in the long run,” Warwick told Tribunesport.
“Younger players should be encouraged to play in the league as I can see that most of us, I mean Nigerian coaches, are always insecure to lose their jobs, so they risk to play only mature players who cannot develop further in their performances but brave at heart.
“Such act makes me to remember the years back when Father Tiko and Otto Gloria were handling the senior team without being influenced.
“Players like Thompson Usiyan, Godwin Odiye, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Sam Okpodu and Clement Temile, who at that time were just school boys at the secondary level and never played in the senior league clubs before being called up to the Eagles camp. Then, I was just a ball boy at the National Stadium [Lagos].
“Older players just have strong hearts but no talents or rooms to develop if not, where is the professionalism attached to our league to the extent that we can’t rely on them for senior assignment?”.
The Delta State-born coach stated that the League Management Company (LMC) should work hand in hand with the football authorities for the uplift of clubs.
“In Europe, if you are not of the grade B level, you would not be allowed to coach any team, both in the senior or any level of the club. That was what happened to Zinedine Zidane when he was an assistant to Carlos Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
“Clubs are to have series of youth team levels such as U-15 and U-18 for the benefit of our youth national teams being trained under competent coaches with recognised badges,” said Warwick, a former assistant coach of Guinea-Bissau national U-17 team.
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