Nigeria Players Abroad
John Obi Mikel warns Jose Mourinho about Turkish fans
By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has issued a strong warning to his former coach, Jose Mourinho, regarding the passionate and demanding football culture in Turkey.
Mikel, who played under Mourinho during his two spells at Chelsea, has firsthand experience with Turkish football fans from his time at Trabzonspor from 2019 to 2020.
Mourinho was recently appointed as the manager of Fenerbahce, a club that finished second in the Turkish Super Lig. While he was welcomed enthusiastically, Mikel cautions that the fervent support could quickly turn to dissatisfaction if results do not meet expectations.
“I was lucky enough to play in that part of the world, and I must tell you they are not the easiest crowd to please,” Mikel said on his Obione podcast.
“They will love you; they will give you everything you want when you win games. But they are so impatient, more than in the Premier League or Italian league.
“They are crazy about football, especially the Fenerbahce fans, the Galatasaray fans, and the Trabzonspor fans where I played. They are crazy; they live football, they breathe football, they eat football.
“They will love you, whoever you are; they will give you time, but if you’re not winning, or things are not going well, they will turn on you very quickly; you’d be surprised.
“So Jose needs to be careful. I understand he’s trying to carry the fans along, but he has to perform. If he doesn’t do that, he’ll be surprised at how quickly they will turn on him.”
Mikel’s advice underscores the intense passion and high expectations of Turkish football fans, highlighting the pressure on Mourinho to deliver consistent results to maintain their support.
