Algeria’s Petkovic exit may have cost FAF €3.84m

Vladimir Petkovic’s departure as Algeria manager may have cost the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) far more than the €480,000 initially reported. Three months after the Bosnian coach left his position, new claims suggest he could have received a severance payment worth several million euros.

Petkovic reportedly left the Algeria job at the beginning of August after agreeing to terminate his contract by mutual consent. The initial version of events was that he accepted three months’ salary as compensation.

However, information previously reported in August and recently relayed by journalist Mohammed Nedjari indicates that the financial terms of the separation may have been significantly different.

According to the claims cited by Nedjari, Petkovic may have received the equivalent of 24 months’ salary to end his time in charge of Algeria.

With his monthly salary estimated at €160,000, that would put the total compensation at €3.84m.

The figure would be eight times higher than the €480,000 initially announced when Petkovic left. The claims have not been officially confirmed and remain disputed, but they have raised questions about the actual terms agreed between the coach and the federation.

The explanation initially attributed to FAF president Walid Sadi, during a meeting of the Federal Bureau, presented a different picture. Petkovic was said to have agreed to give up a substantial proportion of the money to which he could have been entitled.

That arrangement was reportedly intended to prevent a unilateral termination of the contract, which could have exposed the federation to an expensive legal dispute.

The financial commitment may also have extended beyond Petkovic’s severance payment.

Information released at the time stated that the former Algeria manager was also due certain bonuses, including €150,000 for reaching the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

Members of his coaching staff were also reportedly entitled to separate departure payments, adding further costs to the federation’s overall obligations.

The exact amount paid to Petkovic has yet to be established. The difference between the €480,000 figure first reported and the €3.84m now being claimed is substantial enough to fuel continued controversy over the agreement.

The latest claims also renew scrutiny of the FAF’s decision to extend the Bosnian’s contract on the eve of the World Cup. According to the source, that decision proved unsuccessful on the pitch and created a major financial burden for the federation.