Michael Essien: Former Chelsea Midfielder Reportedly Snubbed Ghana Coaching Role With Otto Addo

• Michael Essien could have become Otto Addo's assistant coach
• The ex-Chelsea star declined the opportunity to coach Ghana
• John Paintsil was subsequently appointed in his stead as No.2

Former Chelsea midfielder, Michael Essien, reportedly refused to accept a coaching role for Ghana's senior men's national team, Black Stars.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) recently announced the newly constituted Black Stars technical team two months after the Chris Hugton-led team were shown the exit door after a dismal showing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Otto Addo's backroom staff

The four-time African champions' new-look technical team will be spearheaded by Otto Addo, who left his role as trainer scout with Borussia Dortmund.

Addo assembled a team of experienced professionals to support him 15 months after leaving his role as interim Black Stars boss to concentrate on his job with the Bundesliga side.

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The newly appointed backroom staff brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, promising to provide invaluable support to the team and its players.

According to Pulse Ghana, he named Joseph Lauman, John Painstil, and Fatawu Dauda as assistant coaches to support the team's technical setup.

Michael Essien turns his back on Ghana

However, according to reports from Ghanaian journalist Muftawu Nabila, the 48-year-old would have preferred his former national teammate Michael Essien in his backroom staff.

The report indicates that Otto wanted the now FC Nordsjaelland assistant coach to serve on his team, but Essien declined the opportunity.

John Paintsil 'replaces' Essien on the Ghana bench

The ex-Chelsea midfield linchpin claimed he 'was not interested', leading to John Paintsil's appointment, who had chalked up an impressive 89 caps for Ghana during his playing days.

Who is John Paintsil?

Paintsil, a respected figure in the annals of Ghanaian football, was part of the squad that finished third place at the 2008 AFCON while featuring at two FIFA World Cup tournaments.

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While he presents a rich CV regarding his playing experience, the 42-year-old's body of work as a football coach is far from what he achieved in his playing days.

The only role he has served in the dugout is serving as an assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs and holds a CAF Licence B qualification.

Otto Addo becomes top-paid coach

Following his appointment as the new Black Stars manager, Otto Addo has now become Ghana's highest-earning coach since Avram Grant, as reported by Sports Brief.

During Grant's stint as head coach from 2014 to 2017, the former Chelsea and West Ham manager earned $50,000 per month.

After Grant's departure, Ghana went through five different coaches, none of whom received a salary of $50,000 or more until Addo took over the role.