Former Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick has revealed how alleged backdoor dealings and damaged corporate relationships contributed to the exit of sportswear giants Adidas and Puma from Nigerian football.
Pinnick, speaking in a wide-ranging interview with former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh, said he was shocked to discover Adidas was preparing to end its relationship with the NFF shortly after he assumed office in 2014.
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He said the development came as he was confronted with a broader sponsorship crisis involving several major companies.
Adidas exit shocked Pinnick
Pinnick recalled travelling to Zurich to meet the president of Adidas in an attempt to convince the German sportswear giant to reconsider its decision.
“I was utterly flabbergasted when I got the letter from Adidas. A few weeks or a few months into my being NFF president, they were leaving,” Pinnick said.
He said his efforts to reverse the decision were unsuccessful, although he later learnt that several issues had influenced Adidas’ decision.
“It was later I found out so many things that are, you know, that I cannot come out in the media to say. I don’t like indicting people,” he said.
Pinnick added that the financial details surrounding the federation’s commercial relationships could be verified in the NFF’s audited accounts prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
How Puma dumped Nigeria
The former NFF president said the sponsorship crisis extended beyond Adidas, with several major companies either withdrawing from Nigerian football or indicating their intention to leave.
“When we came on, Globacom…
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