Taribo West: Former Super Eagles defender says he almost set his former club Auxerre on fire when he discovered he was being cheated

In another story of an African player signing a bad contract, former Super Eagles defender Taribo West has revealed that he almost set his former club Auxerre on fire when he discovered he was being cheated. 

West joined Auxerre in 1993 from Nigerian side Julius Berger after successful trials and went on to win a league and cup double with them in 1996. 

But the former Nigeria defender has revealed that he signed for the French side without knowing the content and conditions binding his contract.

West said he signed the contract out of desperation of playing in Europe and he was earning so low which he compared to playing 'for free'.

"I played in Auxerre for free," West said at Footballers Connect, a conference aimed at educating aspiring footballers amongst others and as quoted by Goal. 

"I was playing under a contract for five years without knowing the content and conditions binding the contract.

"After the third year, Arsenal, Juventus, Glasgow Rangers and Sevilla, Betis came for me," he added.

"I went to the coach starting that I wanted to leave but he sat me down and showed me my contract terms with Auxerre. I saw the details of what I had signed. Where my fellow defenders were earning as high as 120,000 French francs, I was going home with 3000 French francs.

"I wanted to set Auxerre on fire that day. Immediately, I called my manager who was turning me left and right [while] enjoying himself in Senegal."

Taribo West later joined Inter Milan from Auxerre where he also signed without looking at the contract. 

The 42-defender who retired in 2007 went on to play for the likes of AC Milan, Derby County, Kaiserslautern, Plymouth Argyle etc.

He made 42 appearances for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and won Gold Medal at the football event of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.