Former Chelsea star hits back at José Mourinho over Vinicius racism comments | OneFootball

Former Chelsea teammates clash over handling of controversy

Former Chelsea star hits back at José Mourinho over Vinicius racism comments

John Obi Mikel criticized Jose Mourinho after the Benfica coach blamed Vinicius Junior following racism incident.

Strong reaction from former Chelsea star

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has openly criticized his former coach Jose Mourinho over comments linked to racism case involving Vinicius Junior.

The incident took place during first-leg match between Real Madrid & Benfica which ended in 1-0 win for Real Madrid. Vinicius claimed that Gianluca Prestianni used racist language toward him during the game.

Despite the seriousness of the claim, Mourinho defended his player after the match and suggested that Vinicius had caused the angry reaction by celebrating in “provocative” way in front of Benfica fans.

His remarks drew heavy criticism across the football world.

“No Place for Racism”

Mikel addressed the issue on his “Obi One” podcast saying he was disappointed by Mourinho’s comments. He stressed that the correct response should have been clear and firm, with no excuses.

Mikel said he expected Mourinho to say there is no place for racism and to wait for the investigation to finish. Instead blaming Vinicius for his celebration was, in his view, a serious mistake.

Expecting an apology

The former Nigeria international added that Mourinho knows he was wrong and believes the Portuguese coach will admit his mistake.

Mikel described Mourinho as smart and experienced manager who understands what should be said in sensitive situations.

He also made it clear that none of Mourinho’s former players associate him with racist behavior. According to Mikel, emotions after the match may have influenced the comments but that does not justify them.