Africa-Press – Rwanda. German tactician Torsten Frank Spittler has come out to share the reasons that made him leave the head coach role at the national football team in January 2025.
Spittler had built a quite competitive team that was topping Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. However, he ended up parting ways with the team only after spending a year at its helm.
Initial rumours had suggested that Spittler left because the FA turned down his request for salary increase, however, in an interview with Times Sport on Friday, March 28, he denied the claims.
“The whole discussion process for a new contract was disappointing. First, the talks should have started last year in September; that was what had been agreed, but FERWAFA started them in the middle of November,” he argued.
“I have for sure not asked to double my salary. Before I came to Rwanda in November 2023, we had a meeting at the FC Bayern Campus in Munich. There was a certain amount of salary agreed. When I arrived in Kigali to sign the contract, FERWAFA had reduced that amount,” he added.
Spittler told Times Sport that late last year when contract renewal talks were unfolding, he reminded FERWAFA of the financial agreement they had made in Munich.
“I asked them only for what we had agreed on,” he said.
He clarified that the “doubling” of his salary that was talked about would be dependent on the country’s qualification for the World Cup. He explained that the increased salary would only apply during the period leading up to the World Cup and throughout the tournament itself, from January 2026 to July of the same year.
“And I would have been for sure the coach who would coach at the World Cup with the lowest salary,” he argued.
Spittler also emphasised that it wouldn’t have been prudent for him to stay in Germany and only come to Kigali when it was time for national assignment.
“In Germany, there is a law that would require me to pay full income tax on my salary if I have not spent more than 183 days outside of the country. So it would have absolutely made no sense for me only to come for the matches,” he said.
Asked about the way forward for Amavubi, the German coach argued that FERWAFA should have kept at least one of his assistant coaches on the new technical team to assist Adel Amrouche with important team information.
He argued that there was limited time available for the new coach and therefore, trying to overhaul everything in such a short period could make the transition difficult.
He shared an example from his own experience when he was new, explaining how he relied on his assistants, including Jimmy Mulisa, who had prior experience with the team, to obtain crucial information.
Spittler also mentioned that Amavubi’s camping time for the games against Nigeria and Lesotho was very short.
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