Former Chelsea players Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel, have defended Fenerbahçe’s head coach, Jose Mourinho, after the Portuguese gaffer allegedly made a racist comment in the derby between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray.
The highly-anticipated Istanbul derby between Fernabahce and Galatasaray ended in a goalless draw on Monday, but the aftermath lingers.
After the game, Mourinho threw a shade at the Galatasaray team, claiming they were jumping like monkeys on the substitute’s bench. The statement has been interpreted in several ways by many, who think the former Chelsea manager intended a racial jab.
After the game, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen took to his Instagram page to make a post with the caption, “no to racism”.
Mourinho, in his success-laden career, has coached several black players, including a load of African players like Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, and John Mikel Obi.
With Galatasaray filing an official racist complaint to UEFA, Mikel and Drogba have come to the defence of the Portuguese, claiming he hadd never racially abused anyone.
“Dear Galatasaray, You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey, and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!! We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.
“I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Trust me, when I tell you, I have known Jose for 25 years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it.
Read also: Galatasaray threatens legal action against Mourinho over racist statements
“Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our five stars. How can my “dad” be a racist? Come on guys,” the big Ivorian posted on his official X page.
Mikel, speaking on the Obi One podcast, admitted it was pointless going back, and forth with people who believe his former boss is racist.
“For them to label our African dad a racist, for me, that’s a f***ing joke. Not Jose Mourinho, not someone that I know really well. He’s someone we all know really well. This is politics in Turkish football. Jose is someone who loves everybody.
“He’s a beautiful human being. He’s the most straight-forward human being, you can ever meet in your life. He says it as it is. Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Jose loved us as his own children. So, for me, this comment, this situation, I don’t even want to get into it because it’s baseless,” the 2013 AFCON winner added.
Mikel and Drogba played together in 189 matches for Chelsea, winning the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, four FA Cups, and two Premier League titles. The two league titles came under Jose Mourinho.
