Former Olympic silver medalist Ambrose Vanzekin recently opened up about the reasons behind his resignation as Bendel Insurance’s goalkeeper trainer.
In a video shared online, Vanzekin provided an in-depth explanation, highlighting various issues that led to his decision to part ways with the team.
Vanzekin, who had served the club for some time before stepping down, pointed fingers at the mismanagement of the team, attributing much of the blame to Sabina, the chairperson of Bendel Insurance’s board.
Sabina, according to Vanzekin, is the sister of the former Edo State Deputy Governor’s wife and lacks any real experience in football.
He questioned her authority in the role, suggesting her appointment was more about family connections than qualifications.
“Why should she be there? Somebody that doesn’t know anything about football. What is she doing there?” Vazenkin questioned. “They are doing family business with Bendel Insurance, giving the team chairman position to someone who doesn’t know anything about football.”
He expressed his frustration over the significant wage disparity within the club. While several players earned between ₦500,000 and ₦600,000 per month, Vazenkin revealed that he was paid a meager ₦75,000 for his work as a goalkeeper trainer, a role he believes is one of the toughest in football.
“Many players are being paid almost half a million while me as a goalkeepers trainer is being paid ₦75,000 monthly,” he added.
The financial strain caused by his low salary made it difficult for him to attend training regularly.
He explained that he often had to rely on borrowing money just to cover his transportation costs.
“I couldn’t go to training because there’s no money. How do I go to training with N75,000? I had to beg people to give me money to go to training. I was owing debt all over the community,” he lamented.
Vanzekin further expressed the toll his financial situation took on his personal life, stressing that the club seemed indifferent to his family responsibilities.
“They forgot I have a family. How do I feed my family with this N75,000?” he asked.
In the video, Vanzekin did not hold back in criticizing the club’s management practices, particularly the favoritism that saw players earning significantly more than staff in crucial roles like his.
Despite his dedication to the club, he felt undervalued and ultimately saw no option but to resign.
