Iheanacho Transfer Saga:
Amuneke Slaps, Beats Up
American Football Agent
An American football agent,
Henry Galliano, was on Monday
evening assaulted by a Nigerian
coach, Emmanuel Amuneke , at
the Rockview Hotel, Owerri, the
Imo State capital.
The assault, which happened at
about 6:00 p.m. was caused by
the decision of Golden Eaglets
star, Kelechi Iheanacho, to
choose Galliano as his agent
ahead of one recommended by
Amuneke.
As agent, Galliano would be
responsible for arranging club
transfer deals for Ihenacho, a
member of the world-conquering
Golden Eaglets. Iheanacho was
selected by FIFA as the best
player of the just-concluded FIFA
U17 World Cup in the UAE.
He has since been linked to top
European clubs including FC
Porto and Manchester City.
Iheanacho has signed an agent
deal officially with Galliano with a
copy of the agreement sent to
the secretariat of the Nigeria
Football Federation, NFF.
The agent also confirmed that a
copy of the agreement with
Iheanacho was submitted to the
NFF on October 21. In a chat
with a source, Galliano and his
Nigerian partner, Solomon
Oluwaseun, accused Amuneke of
assault; and threatened to press
charges against him.
They said the coach invited them
for a meeting before he got
angry, saying that his (Amuneke’s
chosen) agent must be the one
to handle Iheanacho’s transfer.
“The coach invited us, we went
to see him and he started
threatening Kelechi that he
should follow him to Abuja to
sign with his agent who is
working with a Nasiru Jubril, a
staff of the NFF; or else Nasiru,
the man in charge of the ITC
(International Transfer
Certificate), will not release
kelechi’s ITC to him and they will
both make sure that he is
banned from Nigeria football;
also he will not get a good club.
“When the agent tried to talk
back, the coach slapped him and
beat him up in the presence of
over 25 people,” Solomon said.
In his comment, Galliano said he
only came to Nigeria to take
Iheanacho abroad for club
engagement; and he didn’t know
why the coach threatened him.
“I came here to take Kelechi to
his club. FC Porto and
Manchester City are interested in
him but Manchester City has a
better package. This was our
discussion and conclusion when
Mr. Amuneke sent for me, and
asked me to go back to my
cousin.
“He called me names, beat me
up and embarrassed me, he said
it’s impossible to just take his
players,” Galliano said while
accusing Amuneke of racial
statements.
Galliano, an American, said Keshi
ordered Ihenacho to follow him
to Abuja and also threatened
him; which made the boy to
burst into tears and went away.
“Kelechi is nowhere to be found,
he started crying after the threat
made against him, the small boy
is afraid and I hope he will not
lose hope. “Amuneke said he will
delay his ITC and deal with him,
he called vulgar words, cursing
the boys and the players,” he
said.
When Reporters tried to speak to
Iheanacho, but his phone was
switched off. His father, when
contacted, declined comment.
Amuneke, a Nations Cup winner
in 1994 with the Super Eagles,
and current assistant coach of
the Golden Eaglets, confirmed
that he assaulted the American.
When contacted on phone, an
angry Amuneke confirmed that
he slapped Galliano. He
threatened to beat him up again
whenever he sees him. He,
however, denied being involved
in the player’s possible transfer.
“Yes, of course I slapped him
very well and I will do it again
whenever I see him,” Amuneke
said. “He is an idiot, useless
white man, he wants to come
and reap where he didn’t sow.
“Kelechi is a nobody; yes, I said
we helped him into the team,
made him, moulded him into
what he is today, he shouldn’t
allow anybody to fool him,” the
former winger said.
When asked the reason for his
action and his rumoured roles in
Kelechi and other players
transfer business, Amuneke said,
“I care so much for my players, I
am a coach.” “I’m not an agent
but I just look out for the boys.
He wants to come and sign a
player just like that, he’s an idiot,
I will not allow him. “Because the
boy’s parents are poor and
illiterate, he wants to use them.
We are Nigerians and we’re not
foolish,” he added. Despite
Amuneke’s denial, the shady
involvement of Nigerian coaches
and football officials in the
transfer of players to foreign
clubs is something muted and
known by close observers of
Nigerian football.
A football website, Goal.com,
recently revealed that Super
Eagles midfielder, Sunday Mba’s
move to a French club, was
scuttled because of the financial
demands and involvement of
Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, and
some officials of the NFF. Mba
had been unveiled by the French
club, Bastia, before he was
forced to return to Nigeria.
The NFF also recently suspended
a former Secretary General of
the Federation, Taiwo Ogunjobi,
over the latter’s alleged
involvement in the transfer of a
Flying Eagles forward, Olanrewaju
Kayode.
(Premium Times)