Sabotage responsible for Heartland’s relegation

The supervisor of the Owerri side has stated that the club would have remained in the elite division if there were no saboteurs in the team

Heartland FC supervisor, Ugonna Ozuruigbo has asserted that plans are underway to ensure that the Naze Millionaires make a return to the Nigeria Professional Football League and that the internal strife in the Owerri side’s management was the sole reason the club suffered its first relegation ever.

He said that the recent war of words in the media on who should take responsibilities for the demotion of the club will only retrogress the club the more from achieving the desire to make a quick return to the topflight.

“I want to state categorically that Heartland have the crop of players with which to ensure that the club does not go down on relegation but we have some people working in the club that worked against the interest of the team,” Ozuruigbo told Goal. 

“A particular official of the club resigned and few days after his resignation marshaled the movement of the club’s four top players to FC IfeanyiUbah. He came back again and the result was our relegation at the end of the last season.

“We won’t get anywhere if we continue to dwell on the past. We have started moves towards ensuring that Heartland management is rid of all bad influences and foremost was the dissolve of the club’s management and they have the option of re-applying if they so desired.

“We have picked out what was responsible for Heartland’s exit from the premier league and work is being done to ensure that we are back at the first time of asking.”

Heartland finished the last season’s campaign 18th on the log with 43 points from 36 matches and they alongside Ikorodu United, Warri Woves and Giwa FC will play in the Nigeria National League  next season.