Soccer
John Obi Mikel, Daniel Akpeyi and William Troost-Ekong in action for the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Copyright: Imago
Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has given the Blues a cop-out to salvage a season that has been poor by their standards, Soccernet.ng reports.
Heading into the 2025/2026 season, Chelsea were in good spirits after lifting the maiden edition of the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup.
Things went sour towards the winter transfer window, and after a succession of poor results, the club parted ways with Enzo Maresca, a decision Mikel Obi disagrees with to date.
Clearlake Capital and BlueCo appointed Liam Rosenior to replace the Italian, and while the former Brighton midfielder got off to a good start, a run of five games without a win across all competitions saw him booted out of Stamford Bridge.
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Soccer Mikel Obi offers respite for Chelsea’s poor season
The two-time UEFA Champions League winners are in the final of the FA Cup that’ll be played next month, against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Mikel believes qualification for the Champions League and an FA Cup win will give the fans something to hold on to in a campaign that has been filled with chaos.
“That’s success, yes. Winning the FA Cup and not qualifying for the Champions League is not success, but having both is success,” the one-time UEFA Europa League winner said on the Obi One Podcast.
“Getting both is a pass, and we can build on that next season. Because you’ll attract big players, those who wants to win because they want to play in the Champions League.
“Then we go on to get a manager that can attract those players, that makes players want to play for him.
“If Guardiola picks up a phone and calls a player, they run to Manchester, because they’ll win titles and become better players. That’s what a football club is.
“That’s who we were, 10, 15 years ago. Roman called players and they answered. I answered when I could’ve been at Old Trafford. I did a U-turn mate,” Mikel Obi concluded.
Chelsea are currently 8th on the English Premier League table, 10 points off the UEFA Champions League spots.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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