..………………..As Bahner seeks to be retained at post

Credible information gathered indicates that Mr. Sanzio Bahner has deployed a strategy to get his employers maintain him at post as the administrator of Redbull Football Academy, this strategy appears to be gaining ground as the former Accra Hearts of Oak and King Faisal trainer has succeeded in luring the current executives of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) to confer on him and Red Bull Academy two awards when the association gather for their annual awards ceremony at the State House in due course.

Painstaking investigations have revealed that on January 23rd a team of SWAG executives were hosted at the Academy based in Sogakope. It was a ‘special’ reception at the invitation of Mr. Sanzio Bahner under the pretext of touring the prestigious Academy. Further investigation revealed that after the said ‘familiarization tour ‘ Mr. Sanzio Bahner had a ‘special’ meeting with the executives spanning for close to an hour as both parties discussed on how best Red Bull Academy and Bahner himself could be considered for nomination into one or two categories of the forthcoming (SWAG) Awards night.

Further revelations stated Bahner, confirmed how credible and recognized the (SWAG) awards ceremony was therefore arranging to confer an award on him and his outfit would go a long way to prove to his employers how capable he is and how effective the Academy was being run.

Our credible sources disclosed that whiles the meeting was ongoing Mr. Sanzio Bahner surprisingly offered the SWAG team of executives an amount of GH¢ 5,000 (Fifty Million old Cedis) as payment for the awards he was yet-to-receive. Mr. Bahner further promised them of any financial assistance in respect of the organization of the Awards Night.

As the investigations were ongoing, other issues came up to further confirm Mr. Sanzio Bahner desperations for the said “awards”. SWAG had a slight rift with the Referees Association of Ghana with regards to remunerations, the SWAG executives failed to accept the GH 1.200 officiating fee quoted by officials of the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG).

With this piece of information in the public domain Mr. Sanzio Bahner from nowhere quickly offered to provide referees for the Annual SWAG Cup tie. After an agreement was reached Bahner and his team therefore brought in Togolese referees to handle the said game between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Heart of Lions played on March 6th at the Ohene Djan Stadia.

It was therefore not surprising that Mr. Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, former editor of Daily Graphic wrote a piece in the March 14th edition of the Graphic Sports on where he felt the SWAG goofed.

Apparently Bahner is not in the good books of his employers, Red Bull Salzburg, based in Austria, and believes should SWAG confer on him ‘paid for’ awards, then his chances of remaining at the helm of affairs of the Academy would be bright since the awards are credible and would be a PR for the Academy.

It is on record that the Red Bull officials in Austria have been served with numerous complaints from staff of their Ghana Camp and parents of pupils of the Academy. This is with regards of treatment being meted to their wards. This has caused some parents to withdraw their wards from the Academy due to its bad practices in recent times.

It will be recalled that a similar incident happened in February 2008, which led to the resignation of a former head coach of Kpando Heart of Lions, who is now the technical head at Feyenoord Academy in Gomoa, a similar position he enjoyed while with Red Bull.

In an interview with Han Van de Plyuim, he revealed how difficult it was working with Sanzio Bahner, who on most occasions denied the students of some basic needs including their meals. “Should Bahner remain at post then it will be difficult for Red Bull Academy to achieve their dream” an official told this writer.