Cúper will receive more than half a million euros for his dismissal in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The dismissal of Héctor Cúper from the team of the Democratic Republic of Congo will cost the Ministry of Sport and Leisure of that country more than half a million euros. At least this is the compensation established by the terms of the contract that the coach had signed in May last year, which was valid until May next year and which the Congolese sports authorities decided to terminate last week.

The unilateral resolution took place after the leopards lose their first two qualifying matches for the 2023 Africa Cup against Gabon (1-0 in Kinshasa) and Sudan (2-1 in Omdurman), thus seriously complicating their chances of accessing the tournament to be held in Ivory Coast in the middle of next year.

After these two setbacks, the Minister of Sports and Leisure, Serge Nkonde, sent Cúper a note informing him that the ministry had decided to terminate the connection. “He is accused of failing in his duties as a coach, in particular of failing to improve the performance of the national team,” the official said in the letter.

According to what was recorded by the specialized site Sport News Africa, the salary of the former coach of the selected teams of Egypt, Georgia and Uzbekistan was over 50,000 euros per month (not counting bonuses and special concessions) and was paid by the Congolese state.

According to Sport News Africa, the link included a clause that allowed the Congolese Football Association (Fecofa) to revoke it if the selected team did not qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. In that case, it had to communicate it within seven days after elimination in the standings for the ecumenical competition will be finalized.

At the end of March, the Congolese team was defeated by Morocco in the final phase of the African qualification (drawing 1-1 in Kinshasa and losing 4-1 in Casablanca), but Fecofa did not express the desire to sack Cuper. This is why the 66-year-old DT can now demand payment of the entire contract.

In this way, the Congolese authorities should pay compensation of around 570 thousand euros to the coach, who has already left the country and returned to Spain. “There will be negotiations. The leaders will try to save some money. But there is no guarantee that Cúper will accept, “said a source linked to the management quoted by Sport News Africa.

Cuper took over the leopards on May 31, 2021 and has since led the national team in 10 games, of which three won, three draws and four lost. The most painful defeat was the one that excluded him from the World Cup.

Now without the Argentine on the bench, the Congolese leadership will have to look for a replacement to take charge of the team for the two key games that will have to play in September against Mauritania for the qualification for the African Cup. One of the candidates for that post is former French international midfielder Claude Makélélé, born in Kinshasa.