Former Chelsea player John Obi Mikel has described how some senior Chelsea players convinced Ex-owner Roman Abramovich to sack managers in the club.
The midfielder is well aware of what it means to play for a team that is constantly hiring and firing managers.
Ex-owner Roman Abramovich hired 12 managers in the 20 years he was the club’s supremo.
Asked what happens when the players want to get a manager sacked, Mikel told Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe with Five show: “The chat happens between the big guys: JT, Frank, Didier and Petr Cech and a little bit of Ashley [Cole].
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“It’s not like a chat where they go ‘we’re going to go at you’, but the one person we really didn’t like was Rafa [Benitez], because he wasn’t a Chelsea kind of manager, and AVB [Andre Villas Boas].
“AVB was younger than most of the players, younger than Frank, younger than JT, and for some reason, he stopped playing Frank and Frank didn’t take that well so there was a little bit of a rift.
“When that happens and you get bad results, players who have been playing but are no longer start talking and the atmosphere was a little bit down, it cycles around and before you know it there is a little bit of talk.
“They stop talking to the manager, not saying ‘good morning’ and just walk past. That’s how they get their message across. Then Roman comes in, as Roman only speaks to those guys, and once their story has been told to Roman, then Roman makes the decisions which favors the players.”
3 Comments
I miss Mikel and Vincent Enyeama when it becomes hard like this they change the whole situation and make it happen for Nigeria. Joseph Yobo as well. This generation doesn’t have a player that takes over situation like Mikel Obi. We don’t have a Yobo that can be relied on for Defends no matter the opposition. Now any African team can score us Corner because Bassey is often Ghosted most of the time, from Ajax to Fulham now SE he’s been conceding corner goals. We have Anthony Izuchukwu performing well at Serbian club week in and out with Solid Performances. That Boy will command Eagles defense together with Goal keeper Rasheed in Sweden!!!! We should be trying to incorporate young Talents like Daga from Eyimba and Ben Fredricks from Brendford Feeders team this boys are talented. Brazil just invited 17 year old Endrick.
Ok talk about corupt NFF, players is not the problem
Rather than this set of players to canvass for a new quality coach back then in June, they convinced him to take a pay cut and continue with his downward spiral of results and disgrace for SE. I keep asking: who did Pinnick consult before engaging this shambolic “coach”? And what criteria was he engaged? His CV or track record? Cos it’s just totally F9 on his resume.