Who is Bruno Labbadia, the New Super Eagle Coach?

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced German Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, the General Secretary of the NFF, shared that this decision was made swiftly and unanimously. 

The NFF’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee recommended Labbadia, and the Executive Committee agreed. Labbadia’s role started right away, with no delays.

So, who is Bruno Labbadia? Born on February 8, 1966, in Darmstadt, Germany, he’s not new to football, neither as a player nor as a coach. 

His career as a player was impressive, with stints at several top German clubs including Bayern Munich, where he was part of a Bundesliga-winning team in 1994. 

As a coach, he’s led teams like Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, and VfL Wolfsburg. He holds the prestigious UEFA Pro License, marking him as a top-tier football coach.

Labbadia is the sixth German to coach the Super Eagles. The list includes names like Karl-Heinz Marotzke and Gernot Rohr, the latter leading Nigeria in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Each brought their unique style and left their mark. Now, it’s Labbadia’s turn.

His immediate task?

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Super Eagles face the Benin Republic and Rwanda in the coming days. With four more matches after that, Labbadia’s got a full plate but also a great opportunity to set his legacy.

LIST OF SUPER EAGLES’ COACHES IN HISTORY

John Finch (England) – 1949

Daniel Anyiam (Nigeria) – 1954-1956; 1964-1965

Les Courtier (England) – 1956-1960

Moshe Beit Halevi (Israel) – 1960-1961

George Vardar (Hungary) – 1961-1963

Joey Blackwell (England) – 1963 – 1964

József Ember (Hungary) – 1965-1968

Sabino Barinaga (Spain) – 1968-1969

Peter ‘Eto’ Amaechina (Nigeria) – 1969-1970

Karl-Heinz Marotzke (Germany) – 1970-1971; 1974

Jorge Penna (Brazil) – 1972-1973

Jelisavčić ‘Father Tiko’ Tihomir (Yugoslavia) – 1974-1978

Otto Glória (Brazil) – 1979-1982

Gottlieb Göller (Germany) – 1981

Adegboye Onigbinde (Nigeria) – 1983-1984; 2002

Chris Udemezue (Nigeria) – 1984-1986

Patrick Ekeji (Nigeria) – 1985

Paul Hamilton (Nigeria) – 1987; 1989

Manfred Höner (Germany) – 1988-1989

Clemens Westerhof (Netherlands) – 1989-1994

Amodu Shaibu (Nigeria) – 1994-1995; 1996-1997; 2001-2002; 2008-2010

Johannes Bonfrere (Netherlands) – 1995-1996; 1999-2001

Philippe Troussier (France) – 1997

Monday Sinclair (Nigeria) – 1997-1998

Bora Milutinović (Yugoslavia) – 1998

Thijs Libregts (Netherlands) – 1999

Christian Chukwu (Nigeria) – 2002-2005

Augustine Eguavoen (Nigeria) – 2005-2007; 2010; 2022

Berti Vogts (Germany) – 2007-2008

Lars Lagerbäck (Sweden) – 2010

Samson Siasia (Nigeria) – 2010-2011; 2016

Stephen Keshi (Nigeria) – 2011-2014; 2015

Sunday Oliseh (Nigeria) – 2015-2016

Gernot Rohr (Germany) – 2016-2021

José Peseiro (Portugal) – 2022-2024

Finidi George (Nigeria) – 2024

Bruno Labbadia (Germany) – 2024-?