Super Eagles head coach Finidi George has denied rumors of a rift between him and some top players of the Nigerian national team.

Reports surfaced suggesting that the newly appointed coach clashed with Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman and Umar Sadiq during the last international break in March when Nigeria faced Ghana and Mali in friendlies.

Lookman made appearances as a substitute in both games, while Sadiq didn't feature at all, allegedly leading to dissatisfaction from the two forwards towards Finidi, who was then serving as interim coach.

However, the 53-year-old who was officially unveiled on Monday, May 13th, refuted these claims, emphasizing his longstanding positive relationship with the squad.

"I have been with the team for 20 months; I have always had a cordial relationship with all the players as an assistant coach," Finidi stated at his unveiling ceremony.

"I am still the same person, even as head coach now, only that the title has changed. There will be no controversy regarding relationships with the players."

He emphasized the professionalism of the players, asserting, "These are professional players, and we have to give them what they’re used to in Europe; you don’t need to reprimand anybody for not doing their job."