The chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, has revealed why the club owners are against his committee’s plans to adopt the abridged league format for the 2022/2023 season.
Tensions have built up between the Elegbeleye-led IMC and the club chairmen ahead of Wednesday’s draws for 2022/2023 league season with aggrieved club owners who prefer a full league threatening to boycott the exercise.
Recall that after meeting with the club chairmen in Abuja recently, the IMC announced that the draws for 2022/2023 NPFL season will be held on Wednesday, December 28 while the league will kick-off on January 8, 2023. The IMC also agreed to give the 20 clubs N10m each as takeoff grants.
However, the Club chairmen, under the umbrella of Club Owners Association, in a statement released on Sunday and signed by their chairman, Barrister Isaac Damnladi, rejected the abridged league format announced by the IMC.
“Member clubs had in a joint meeting with the IMC unanimously voted for a full league with 17 to 3 votes, and against a proposal for an abridged league, only for some group of persons to go behind to push for an abridged league which is a caricature of the NPFL, a league once adjudged as the number one league in Africa.
“Club Owners, therefore, wish to state unequivocally that the decision of the clubs on a full league format remains unchanged and hereby reject the proposed abridged league in its entirety, assuring that a full league format can still be completed within the normal time frame, with submissions of the CAF Competitions representatives and alignment of the NPFL with the international football calendar,” the statement read in part.
But, while speaking on Kennis Radio on Monday morning, IMC chairman Gbenga elegbeleye said they have the mandate of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) to end the league by May 2023, stressing that the club chairmen are against the abridge format for selfish reasons.
“We met with the club chairmen twice and we told them that we have the mandate to finish the league in May to align with the International calendar so Nigeria will not be left behind among the nations in terms of football activities.
“I have also served as a club chairman with Sunshine Stars and I know what it takes, except for Remo Stars and Doma United all other clubs are owned by the government.
The issue is that the longer they play, the longer they ask for more money from the government,” Eleggneleye said.
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