John Obi Mikel says Chelsea players got emotional when the club sacked Jose Mourinho
Former Chelsea player John Obi Mikel revealed all the Blues players got emotional when Chelsea announced the sacking of Jose Mourinho, as it was one of the worst days for the players.
The former Blues manager’s time has been filled with trophies. He was first appointed the club’s manager when Roman Abramovich became owner of the club in 2004. After leading Porto to the Champions League, he was named Blues manager in 2004, and in his first season as Chelsea’s head coach, he led them to the Premier League.
The Portuguese manager continued his time at the club until 2007 when he was relieved of his duties after a poor run in all competitions, which affected Chelsea players emotionally. While he would eventually return for a second run, Mourinho’s impact on the Blues was undeniable.
Obi Mikel takes us to the day when Mourinho was first sacked by Chelsea and reveals how the players dealt with such a huge blow in his The Obi One Podcast:
“We all cried and were emotional, and that He [Jose Mourinho] left, then five minutes later we were out on the training pitch, and everyone’s laughing and joking. We just had to move on with it. After training, we started talking about it, but on the pitch, we had to get on with it.”
Mourinho’s siege mentality was frustrating for opponents but helped get his own players on his back. He did not just consolidate Chelsea as one of the Premier League’s top clubs but also helped them usurp Manchester United and Arsenal as the pre-eminent force in English football.
Mourinho is still regarded as one of the greatest club managers of all time. It is truly impressive to win the Premier League in your first season with a new team. Given how successfully he managed the team and won two Premier League titles in his first two seasons at the club, it is clear that Chelsea players were drawn to him. He is a manager who essentially appreciates players and develops fantastic relationships with them.
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However, it’s a part of the game; managers come and go, but things continue to progress in the proper way. The former Real Madrid manager managed the Blues once more in 2013 and took us to the Premier League the following year.
