'My dream is to be the first African to coach Real Madrid'

Arthur Johnson, an Irishman, was Real Madrid’s first head coach. The Royal Club has had many foreigners on its bench since then—including Ancelotti, Zidane, Mourinho and Fabio Capello—but never an African. The ambition to become the first has been expressed by Nigeria’s current national team coach, 48-year-old Eric Sekou Chelle. The former Valenciennes and Lens center-back took over the Super Eagles a little over a year ago. He failed to lead them to the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but he did manage to lift the morale of players who had been psychologically shaken by their unsuccessful qualifying campaign and guided them to a third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations. Only Morocco managed to stop Nigeria, and only after a penalty shootout in the semifinals.

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Victor Osimhen and his teammates partially redeemed themselves for missing out on the upcoming World Cup, although the coach also suggested that Congolese witch doctors had something to do with it. Some believe him, others do not, but as far as he is concerned, there is no doubt about his coaching quality. And Chelle believes that one day he could become Real Madrid’s manager.

“My dream is to be the first African to coach Real Madrid,” Nigeria’s head coach said in an interview with RMC Sport. Earlier in his managerial career, he coached Mali—his country of origin—as well as several lower-league French clubs.

Chelle attacks Congo staff member over voodoo

During a recent tournament in Morocco, a heated argument broke out on the pitch between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. The Galatasaray striker felt his teammate should have passed the ball in a situation where he instead chose to dribble. The incident did not affect the outcome of the match against Mozambique (4–0), nor Nigeria’s subsequent performances, but it certainly attracted public attention.

“It was a minor incident. Victor told him they should conserve energy and stop pushing toward the opponent’s goal. The situation escalated slightly, leading to a small argument, but that’s all part of being a team. Once he cooled down, Victor was the same as we know him. There was never any talk of him refusing to play against Algeria, as the media reported. I didn’t even have to intervene. When we returned to the hotel, the two of them talked and everything was sorted out” Chelle explained.

The ambitious coach also spoke about an unpleasant episode from his time managing Mali (from 2022 to 2024). During the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where his team reached the quarterfinals, Chelle nearly fainted after the match against Ivory Coast, which eliminated Mali in extra time (2–1).

“I almost fainted. Before the tournament I had heart problems, and during matches my heart rate was at 200” said the Frenchman of Malian descent. Fortunately for Chelle, one of his assistants grabbed a bottle of water and poured it over him, and the footage quickly spread across social media. Considering the pressure that comes with managing Real Madrid, however, the ambitious coach might want to think about leading a less demanding team.