“Not racist” — John Obi Mikel backs Jose Mourinho amid controversial comments

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has come to the defense of Fenerbahçe head coach, Jose Mourinho, following backlash over comments he made after the Istanbul derby on Monday.

The highly anticipated match between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray ended in a goalless draw, but Mourinho’s remarks post-match sparked controversy.

The Portuguese manager was criticized after he said the opposing team’s bench was “jumping around like monkeys,” a comment that was condemned by some, including Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, who took to Instagram with the caption “No to racism,” while his team threatened legal action against Mourinho.

Despite the uproar, Mikel, who has a long-standing relationship with Mourinho from their time together at Chelsea, dismissed the accusations, calling the claims “baseless.”

On the ObiOne Podcast, Mikel strongly defended the renowned coach, saying, “For them to label our African dad a racist, for me, that’s a f***ing joke.”

He continued, “Not Jose Mourinho, not somebody I know really, really well. Somebody we all know really, really well. This is politics in football in Turkey; Jose Mourinho is somebody who loves everybody. A beautiful, beautiful human being you can ever meet. The straightforward human being you can ever meet in your life, says it as it is.”

Mikel further praised Mourinho’s character, noting his close relationships with African players such as Didier Drogba and Michael Essien during their time at Chelsea. He emphasized, “Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, loved us as his own children.”

The former Super Eagles captain concluded, “So for me, this comment, this situation, I don’t want to get into it, because it is baseless.”

Mourinho, known for his candid and sometimes controversial remarks, has consistently shown support for players of all backgrounds during his illustrious managerial career, making Mikel’s defense a strong rebuttal against the accusations of racism.