A number of former Chelsea stars have jumped to the defence of Jose Mourinho amid accusations that the Portuguese manager is a racist.
Check Out: De Sa Opens Door To Al Ahly Job
The tactician, known as "The Special One," was accused of racism after his Fenerbahce side drew 0-0 with Galatasaray over the weekend. After the match, the Portuguese coach allegedly described the Galatasaray bench as "jumping like monkeys," sparking outrage from his rivals.
However, some of Mourinho's former African players from his Chelsea days have leapt to his defence, insisting that there is no way the two-time UEFA Champions League-winning manager could be racist.
First to defend him was John Obi Mikel, who claimed on his podcast that Galatasaray's accusations were baseless.
"For them to label our African dad (Jose Mourinho) a racist, for me, that's a f** joke. That's a f** joke," Mikel said during the Obi One Podcast.
"This is politics in football in Turkey. Jose Mourinho is somebody that loves everybody. A beautiful, beautiful human being you can ever meet. The straightest, the most 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."
Drogba, a former Galatasaray player himself, took to Instagram to echo his former teammate's sentiments, insisting that there was no way his former manager could be racist.
"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!!" Drogba wrote on his official account.
"Trust me when I tell you I have known José for 25 years, and he is not a racist. 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 five stars. How can my 'Dad' be a racist?"
Check Out: Official: MLS Punish Messi For Grabbing Coach's Neck
Michael Essien also showed his support by posting a picture of himself, Mourinho, and Drogba on X, captioned with three heart emojis.
