The Super Eagles coach has broken his silence on the Marseille saga, but the bigger story is what triggered his pursuit of a Ligue 1 job in the first place and what it means for Nigeria’s World Cup hopes.
What Actually Happened
Marseille’s managerial vacancy opened when Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi left by mutual consent following a 5-0 humiliation by Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique. Chelle, currently earning $50,000 per month as Super Eagles head coach, was among those who put his name forward for the role.
According to detailed reporting by journalist Shina Oludare, Chelle’s move towards Marseille wasn’t entirely spontaneous. It came shortly after the Nigeria Football Federation rejected his 19-point contract extension proposal, submitted on January 22, 2026. At the core of that proposal was a request to increase his monthly salary from $50,000 to $130,000, a figure intended to cover his entire technical staff and personal assistant.
Sources familiar with the situation suggest Chelle’s Marseille application was at least partly a pressure tactic. A calculated move to strengthen his negotiating hand with the NFF rather than a straightforward pursuit of a club job. Whether that reading is entirely fair to Chelle is debatable, but it’s the context the NFF was working with when it issued its public warning.
The 19-Point Proposal
Chelle’s contract extension demands, as revealed by Flashscore’s investigation, give a clear picture of what he wants from the NFF to stay committed to the Super Eagles project. They go well beyond salary.
📄 Chelle’s Key Contract Demands to the NFF (January 22, 2026)
- Monthly salary of $130,000 to cover technical staff and personal assistant
- Private SUV with chauffeur and security detail
- Furnished house in a secure environment with uninterrupted power supply
- Business class flights for himself and his wife; economy for two children
- Right to choose international friendly opponents based on tactical scouting needs
- Freedom to travel and monitor Nigerian players abroad at NFF’s expense
- Freedom to attend NPFL matches to identify local talent
- No interference in team selection or player call-ups
- Salaries paid on or before the 30th of each month
- Personal assistant included in bonus and allowance structure
Some of these demands are standard for a national team coach operating at this level. The salary request, the right to select opposition for friendlies, independent travel to monitor players — these are reasonable asks that any serious coaching setup would accommodate. Others, like the SUV with a chauffeur and the furnished house with guaranteed power, reflect the realities of working in Nigeria.
The NFF’s rejection of the proposal, at least in its current form, is what set this entire episode in motion.
Chelle’s Record With Nigeria
It’s worth stepping back and asking what Chelle has actually delivered, because the Marseille drama shouldn’t overshadow a coaching tenure that has had genuine high points.
Appointed in January 2025 following the resignation of Finidi George and the earlier dismissal of Jose Peseiro, the 48-year-old Franco-Malian inherited a squad in disarray and a qualification campaign in serious trouble. He steadied the ship. Nigeria won four and drew two of their CAF World Cup qualifying Group C matches under his watch. The Super Eagles claimed a bronze medal at AFCON 2025 in Morocco. He won the 2025 Unity Cup, defeating Jamaica in the final at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford.
The failure to secure direct World Cup qualification still hangs over his tenure. Nigeria’s fate in the World Cup playoff against DR Congo remains subject to a FIFA ruling. That uncertainty has left both Chelle and the NFF in an uncomfortable limbo, trying to plan for a tournament they don’t yet know they’ll be in.
The Marseille Dream That Wasn’t
Chelle made his wider ambitions clear even before the Marseille vacancy emerged. Speaking to RMC Sport after AFCON, he told the French broadcaster his long-term dream is to become the first African coach to manage Real Madrid. That’s the kind of statement that tells you everything about where a man’s head is.
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. Every great coach has it. But the timing of that statement, coming weeks before he applied for the Marseille job, adds texture to the story. Chelle is thinking beyond Nigeria. Whether that’s a problem depends entirely on how the NFF handles its side of the relationship.
In a significant behind-the-scenes development, Chelle also parted ways with his long-standing agent Sidibe Abraham Brehima, the man who facilitated both his Mali and Nigeria national team appointments, and signed with Wilders Sport. Changing representation is usually a sign that someone is actively positioning themselves for new opportunities.
📝 Editorial View
The NFF needs to make a decision and make it quickly. Allowing this situation to drift serves nobody. If they want Chelle to lead Nigeria through the World Cup play-off process and beyond, they need to sit down, negotiate seriously on the contract, and close a deal. His demands, while significant in cost, are not unreasonable for a coach managing one of Africa’s biggest football nations.
The alternative, losing a coach mid-project for the second time in a year, would be a serious setback. Nigeria can’t keep cycling through managers while the World Cup qualification window remains open. Chelle has shown enough in his 13 months in charge to deserve a proper contract. The NFF should stop issuing public warnings and start having private negotiations that actually lead somewhere.
What Happens Next
With Marseille off the table, Chelle’s immediate focus returns to Nigeria. The Super Eagles have critical fixtures ahead, and the FIFA ruling on the World Cup play-off against DR Congo could arrive at any point. If Nigeria are awarded the tie, they go to the 2026 World Cup in North America without playing another qualification game. If not, the picture changes dramatically.
Soccernet reports that Chelle is now targeting another Ligue 1 role, having been snubbed by Marseille. That’s a signal he hasn’t entirely shelved his European ambitions. The NFF knows this. Every week that passes without a resolved contract situation is a week in which Chelle could receive a call from a European club that does want him.
Nigeria’s football governance has a habit of moving slowly on these decisions and then acting surprised when coaches walk. The lesson from Finidi George, from Gernot Rohr, from every coaching transition that’s ended in drama, is that clarity and speed matter. The Chelle situation demands both.
📌 Did You Know?
- Eric Chelle was appointed Super Eagles head coach in January 2025, becoming the first non-Nigerian African to manage the senior men’s national team.
- Marseille’s new coach Habib Beye represented the club as a player from 2003 to 2007. He was appointed on a one-and-a-half-year deal on February 18, 2026.
- Chelle’s 19-point contract extension proposal was submitted to the NFF on January 22, 2026. The central salary demand was $130,000 per month, covering his full technical staff and personal assistant.
- Roberto De Zerbi left Marseille by mutual consent following a 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Le Classique on February 10, 2026, opening the vacancy Chelle pursued.
- Chelle guided the Super Eagles to a bronze medal at AFCON 2025 in Morocco and also won the 2025 Unity Cup against Jamaica at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford.
- Chelle changed his representative from long-time agent Sidibe Abraham Brehima to Wilders Sport around the time of the Marseille pursuit, a move analysts interpret as preparation for a potential club role in Europe.
- Chelle previously managed Mali at AFCON 2024, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by hosts Ivory Coast, before briefly coaching Algerian side MC Oran prior to joining Nigeria.
