Amuneke Slaps & Beat-up Iheanachos' American Football Agent

Assistant Golden Eaglets coach, Emmanuel Amuneke, on
Monday evening assaulted a football agent, Henry
Galliano, at the Rockview Hotel, Owerri, the Imo State
capital.

According to PremiumTimes, the assault, which happened
at about 6:00 p.m. happened because Golden Eaglets
star, Kelechi Iheanacho, chose Galliano as his agent
ahead of one recommended by Amuneke.

Galliano and his Nigerian partner, Solomon Oluwaseun,
both said Amuneke 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.

Then when the agent, Galliano, tried to talk back, the
coach slapped him and beat him up in the presence of
over 25 people.

According to Galliano:

“I came to Nigeria to take Kelechi to his club. FC Porto
and Manchester City are interested in him but Manchester
City has a better package.

Amuneke 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 Amuneke ordered Iheanacho
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 was 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.

PREMIUM TIMES tried to speak to Iheanacho, but his
phone was switched off.

His father, when contacted, declined comment.

Amuneke, when contacted on phone, an angry Amuneke
confirmed that he slapped Galliano and even 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.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that 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.