Former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah has highlighted a concerning trend in football where players sometimes perceive themselves as superior to their coaches, often due to their higher earnings.
However, he places the responsibility for this mentality on the coaches themselves for allowing it to fester.
During his appearance before the Parliamentary Select Committee investigating the petition from the Save Ghana Football Demonstrators in February, Appiah addressed the issue directly.
“I think at times, some of these things happen. But I won’t blame the players; I would rather blame the coaches because, at the end of the day, you are the boss,” he stated.
He further illustrated his point, saying, “You can decide not to play Ronaldo; he can say anything. He will get upset, but at the end of the day, if they decide, ‘I’m not playing you,’ you can’t do anything.”
Appiah emphasized the need for coaches to assert their authority and make tough decisions, especially when players feel they are beyond reproach.
“Yes, I was then a player; today I’m a coach, so it’s two different things. I’m not a player in a way that you can compare yourself to say you are better than me. I’m a coach. So you have to respect that,” he concluded.
