Press Statement
It comes with huge regret that I am writing this
message after SD Huesca announced the
termination of my contract.
I have kept silent out of respect for the Huesca
fans and my teammates, but I will no longer
suffer in silence. The time has come for people
to know the truth and why these past few
months have been awful for me and my family.
In Dec 2021, I experienced the biggest honour
of my life after I received a full international
call up for my beloved Nigeria. But the joy of
this moment quickly came crashing down
when the club’s Sporting Director, Ruben
Garcia, put extreme pressure on me not to go
to AFCON due to it ‘not being an important
tournament.
He told me that if I go to AFCONT
will not play for Huesca again. This behaviour
and the lack of respect shown to my country
Nigeria was truly heart-breaking and it was
just the latest example of the club attempting
to bully me into getting their own way.
For months the club has been abusing its
power to bully me into signing a new contract.
These tactics have included paying me late on
numerous occasions. The breakdown in
negotiations came when my mother fell ill and I
asked Ruben for the wages the club already
owed me in order to pay for my Mother’s
hospital bill and treatment. Ruben Garcia
responded to my request by saying ‘Sign this
new contract and we will pay you what’s owed
tonight.
But despite these actions, I was not going to
allow the club to stop me representing my
country at one of the biggest international
tournaments in the world and I was honoured
to join my teammates in Cameroon.
Before Nigeria’s last 16 game against Tunisia
on 23rd January 2022, I began to feel unwell
and was diagnosed with a Respiratory Tract
Infection. As a result I was not fit enough to
play in the game against Tunisia. After we
were eliminated from the tournament I was
unable to return to the club immediately as
planned because of my illness following advice
from the Doctor.
Then, on the last day of the transfer market
(January 31, 2022) when I was in the process
of returning to join my teammates at Huesca,
Ruben Garcia rang me to tell me I had to leave
the club after a late offer came in from another
La Liga 2 club. He threatened that he would
not pay me if I did not leave the club. The
option that was given to me was leave or we
will open up disciplinary action. Before
January 31st, I was never told by the club that
they wanted to let me leave in January and
this was not a decision that I felt was right for
me at the time.
After returning to the club on February 1st,
Ruben Garcia and the club’s lawyers opened
disciplinary proceedings against me,
suspending me from training and banning me
from the training ground. As a result, I had to
seek the help of the Spanish Footballers Union
(The AFE) who have been in an ongoing
dispute with Huesca. After over a month
passed, the club allowed me back into the
training ground but have been forcing me to
train on my own and have not been allowing
me to use the facilities or receive treatment
from the club physios.
Throughout this time, Huesca have not paid
my wages, yet I have remained silent hoping
that a reasonable resolution could be found.
But yesterday when I turned up to the training
ground, a member of the club tried to force me
to sign mutual termination papers which I
refused to do. I have a family that depends on
me, and no player should have to go through
this inhumane treatment.
I will never regret my decision to represent
Nigeria and all I want to do is get back to
playing the sport I love.
Lastly, I want to thank the fans and my
teammates of Huesca who have been
amazing during my time here. I have always
given 100% for the club, despite my treatment
over the past 3 years.
God Bless,
Kelechi Nwakali
