By Gwurld4026 
Galatasaray’s Racism Claims: Mikel Obi Responds
Former Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi, has come to the defense of his former manager, José Mourinho, amidst allegations of racism from Turkish club Galatasaray. The controversy arose after a heated 0-0 draw between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, during which Mourinho, now managing Fenerbahçe, remarked that the Galatasaray bench was “jumping like monkeys” in reaction to refereeing decisions. Galatasaray condemned these comments as racist and announced intentions to pursue legal action against Mourinho.
In response, Mikel Obi, who played under Mourinho at Chelsea, dismissed the accusations as unfounded. Speaking on his “Obi One Podcast,” Mikel stated:
“For them to label our African dad (José Mourinho) a racist, for me, that’s a f** joke. That’s a f** joke.”
He further emphasized Mourinho’s equitable treatment of all players, highlighting the strong bonds Mourinho formed with African players during his managerial career:
“This is politics in football in Turkey. José Mourinho is somebody that loves everybody. A beautiful, beautiful human being you can ever meet. The straightest, the straightforward human being you can ever meet in your life. Says it as it is. Didier Drogba, Michael Essien. 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.”
Mikel’s sentiments were echoed by Didier Drogba, another former Chelsea star who played under Mourinho. Drogba took to social media to defend his former manager, addressing Galatasaray directly:
“Dear @GalatasaraySK, 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 José Mourinho. Trust me when I tell you I have known José for xx years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent) is there to prove it. Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our 5 ⭐️ How can my ‘Dad’ be a racist? Come on guys.”