Mikel Obi is a former Chelsea player who went to continue his carrier in China. He played for Chelsea FC of England for over a decade (2004 – 2017). He won almost everything there is in club football with Chelsea FC. He won the Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, English FA, English League Cup. He joined Tianji TEDA of China in 2017.
After some stint in China (2017 – 2018), he transferred to Middleborough where he stayed for less than one year before he got the Trabsonspor of Turkey offer where he teamed up with his former team mate in Nigeria National team (the Super Eagle), Eddy Ogenyi Onazi.
His stay in Turkey was a bag of mixed feelings. He did his best to integrate into the team in record time and became part of the team that is vying for the Super League trophy before the sudden suspension of the entire European football league, though the Turkish league was the last to go on break.
The Turkish Super League continued even when other football activities in major European countries had closed because of COVID-19 pandemic.
Mikel Obi can be credited to being the reason why the Super League and Lig1 joined other European league to observe the emergency stop caused by COVID-19.
During the last match of the club, before the Super League was suspended like other European Leagues, Mikel Obi was part of the Trabsonspor team that was at home to Istanbul Basaksehir in a draw game. When the coach asked Mikel Obi to prepare to go into the pitch to substitute a player, the focal Mikel Obi refused and told the coach that inasmuch as the players want to play and win the league, the lives of the players are more important than the league trophy. He said he would not risk his live for the club citing that other European Leagues have gone on forced break due to COVID-19 pandemic.
For his outspokenness the management of the club forced Mikel Obi to resign on mutual ground. This made the Turkish football authority to suspend the league like others, because many football stakeholders aired their views on the event that led to mutual disengagement of Mikel obi.
urbanpaparazzionline.com 