French coach eyes Gernot Rohr’s job
French coach Jean-Louis Gasset has indicated interest in coaching an African national team before he finally winds down his managerial career.
Though the former St Etienne manager was coy on his final destination in an interview with the French newspaper, L’Equipe, the Super Eagles would most likely be one of his options given the current circumstance surrounding the job of German coach Gernot Rohr.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are yet to table a new offer before the German coach with words rife that he might be handed stringent conditions that may eventually scupper the deal.
“At 50, I was put off by the idea (of coaching a national team),” the 66-year-old Gasset reportedly said. Not enough work; but today, yes, I would like it.
“ I would like to become a national team coach, discover youngsters, converse with the major players, build a squad up in record time, experience the rush that matches give you, then the competition, the euphoria of managing a country and understand why, when French people succeed, they are called ’White Wizards’.
“An AFCON (African Cup of Nations) would be a crazy thing to experience. Becoming a national team coach would offer the right mix, a good compromise between my love of football and my family,” he added.
Gasset has varied experiences in the French Ligue 1 side and apart from Saint-Étienne, he led the Montpellier HSC to victory in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999 en route to coaching SM Caen and FC Istres.
The former midfielder might yet be an option for the beleaguered NFF President Amaju Pinnick who has not hidden his disdain over Rohr’s nonchalant attitude to the domestic Nigerian League amongst other vexed issues.
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“We are going to domesticate Gernot Rohr to our leagues. He needs to move around, watch some of the league games. We are not saying take a player from here and bring him to the Super Eagles immediately”, Pinnick recently said in an interview.