Mikel Obi Says Mourinho Refused To Play Him for 2 Months at Chelsea After Red Card

• Super Eagles legend Mikel Obi has claimed that Jose Mourinho was a no nonsense coach at Chelsea
• The Nigerian explained that the Portuguese scolded him out of the team for two months because he was red carded
• Mikel Obi went on to win virtually all available titles in England with Chelsea before he left the club

Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has stated emphatically that Jose Mourinho once punished him by not playing him for two months after picking up a red card.

Mikel was sent off in a match against Reading on 14 October 2006, and was fined on three separate occasions by Chelsea for turning up late to training.

Then, the Nigerian was young and was not getting some things right off the pitch which made Mourinho to pull him out of the team.

In an interview Mikel granted which was spotted on Twitter, Mikel claimed that Mourinho was furious with him and kept him out of the squad.

Mohammed Salah: The Jose Mourinho incident that left the Egyptian in tears during Chelsea days

Football

Statement made by Mikel

''Mourinho refused to put me on the pitch for the next two/three months because he did not trust me and I was out of the squad.''

The Nigerian also explained why Jose Mourinho converted him to a defensive midfielder changing his role from what he used to play for the Super Eagles.

''Mourinho told me that he wanted me to replace Claude Makelele who was leaving the club then and that was how he converted me to a defensive midfielder.''

Mikel believes he was robbed

Earlier, Sports Brief had reported how Nigeria legend, John Obi Mikel claimed he was 'criminally robbed' of the 2013 Africa Player of the Year award after a successful campaign with club and country.

Super Eagles star donates funds to Neglected Tropical diseases patients

Football

Fresh off winning the UEFA Champions League in 2012, the former Super Eagles captain added the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and Europa League titles to his laurels.

However, Mikel was beaten to the award by Ivory Coast and Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure.

According to the former Nigerian international, he received a call before the ceremony informing him he had won the award, but that was not how it all panned out.