Who is Bruno Labbadia, the new coach of Super Eagles?

By Wale Mustapha

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has appointed German coach Bruno Labbadia as the new head coach of the Super Eagles, marking a significant change in leadership.

Labbadia, announced on Tuesday by NFF Secretary General Dr. Muhammed Sanusi, will be the 37th coach in the team’s history.

Born on February 8, 1966, in Darmstadt, West Germany, Labbadia has Italian heritage with roots in Lenola, Lazio. He moved to Germany as a child and later gave up his Italian citizenship to pursue a career in football.

Standing at 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in), he enjoyed a successful playing career as a striker with notable German clubs including Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Köln, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC, accumulating 557 appearances and 204 goals.

He won the DFB-Pokal with FC Kaiserslautern and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich but earned just two caps for the German national team.

At 58, Labbadia brings extensive managerial experience to the Super Eagles, having previously managed clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Greuther Fürth, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburger SV, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC, and his most recent role with VfB Stuttgart.

Despite not having managed a national team before, his diverse club experience will be crucial as he takes on this new challenge.