A top-flight European club is reportedly set to pocket a tasty R1 million following Ivory Coast's triumphant 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign - here is why!
The Elephants claimed their third AFCON title earlier this month in dramatic fashion, having been close to exiting the tournament during the group stage but surviving as one of the four best third-placed teams of the group phase.
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This led to the Ivorian Football Federation's sacking of Jean-Louis Gasset and replacing him with his then-assistant coach Emerse Fae from the tournament's round of 16 onward.
Very few would have expected the caretaker coach to successfully steer the hosts to the title, but Fae inspired the team to victories over then-defending champions Senegal in the round of 16, Mali in the quarter-finals, DR Congo in the semis, and then Nigeria in the final.
As such, the 40-year-old has been rewarded with a permanent contract, with Yacine Idriss Diallo, the president of the Ivorian Football Federation, confirming the decision on Monday.
"Emerse was until now interim coach and has just been confirmed today as full coach," Diallo said, according to The Straits Times.
With the relatively young tactician now occupying his first permanent senior management role, one of his former clubs is also reportedly set to benefit from his nation's AFCON triumph.
According to Get French Football News, Ligue 1 side Clermont Foot are set to receive €50 000 (R1 million) from the African champions due to clauses included in Fae's agreement to leave them to join up with the national team.
Fae was the manager of Clermont's reserve team up until June 2022, and had a contract with the team that ran until June 2024. This required the Ivorian FA to come to an agreement with the French club over Fae's role as the national team's assistant manager.
Fae was granted permission to join the Elephants only after an agreement on three conditions was reached.
First, it was agreed that Ivory Coast would stage a friendly in the city of Clermont before 30 June 2024.
Secondly, in the event of the country winning the AFCON with Fae as part of the staff, Clermont would receive €25 000 (R508 591).
Finally, a further €25 000 would be paid if Fae became the Elephants head coach.
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This proved to be a masterstroke from the French club as Ivory Coast went on to do the almost-unthinkable earlier this month, and Fae being rewarded with his new role as head coach.
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