Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

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Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Rawlings »

John Obi Mikel has parted company with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor after expressing his concerns about the coronavirus.

The former Nigeria international said on Saturday he was unhappy with Turkish football's decision to continue play during the COVID-19 pandemic. He's left the six-time champions by mutual consent.

According to Daniel Davis for MailOnline, the former Chelsea midfielder has given up the remainder of his deal in order to leave. The player's contract had 18 months remaining after he joined last summer.

Mikel had posted his thoughts about the pandemic on Instagram: "There is more to life than football. I do not feel comfortable and don't want to play football in this situation. Everyone should be home with their families and loved ones at this critical time. Season should be cancelled as the world is facing such turbulent times."

Trabzonspor are currently top of the league and could win their first top-flight title since 1983-84. Mikel has featured in 19 Super Lig games this season, consistently starting for coach Huseyin Cimsir.

Galatasaray's Radamel Falcao supported Mikel's stance, replying to his post (h/t Goal): "You are right John. Life is more important than football."

Mikel's comments came before Sunday's league match with Istanbul Basaksehir, and he wasn't included in the squad for the 1-1 draw.

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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by deanotito »

Can’t blame him
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by kalani JR »

He made the right choice.
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Senator WIRES »

amayen gold, amayen cocoa, amayen diamond!! so what else? :lol:
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by jette1 »

Rawlins you are are wrong person to post this
make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable.

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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by DIMKA76 »

Mikel has the resources and the political clout to make a statement. Others do not.
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by felarey »

So he quits the club over this dispute? Where there any adults in the room? Someone was consumed with a 'go and die' attitude because he was concerned?
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by olu »

Bold move by Mikel especially since Trabzonspor is currently first in the league. Will be interesting to see how the Turkish league responds especially since Mikel is a high profile player.
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by The Eagle »

Rawlings wrote:John Obi Mikel has parted company with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor after expressing his concerns about the coronavirus.

The former Nigeria international said on Saturday he was unhappy with Turkish football's decision to continue play during the COVID-19 pandemic. He's left the six-time champions by mutual consent.

According to Daniel Davis for MailOnline, the former Chelsea midfielder has given up the remainder of his deal in order to leave. The player's contract had 18 months remaining after he joined last summer.

Mikel had posted his thoughts about the pandemic on Instagram: "There is more to life than football. I do not feel comfortable and don't want to play football in this situation. Everyone should be home with their families and loved ones at this critical time. Season should be cancelled as the world is facing such turbulent times."

Trabzonspor are currently top of the league and could win their first top-flight title since 1983-84. Mikel has featured in 19 Super Lig games this season, consistently starting for coach Huseyin Cimsir.

Galatasaray's Radamel Falcao supported Mikel's stance, replying to his post (h/t Goal): "You are right John. Life is more important than football."

Mikel's comments came before Sunday's league match with Istanbul Basaksehir, and he wasn't included in the squad for the 1-1 draw.

I mean, sure, Bleacher Report is a well-known media outlet .... but if <name redacted> did not post this Mikel news, is it really credible? :)
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by pajimoh »

Mikel standing up to be counted as usual. :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Bigpokey24 »

olu wrote:Bold move by Mikel especially since Trabzonspor is currently first in the league. Will be interesting to see how the Turkish league responds especially since Mikel is a high profile player.
very true :clap: :clap:
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Bigpokey24 »

felarey wrote:So he quits the club over this dispute? Where there any adults in the room? Someone was consumed with a 'go and die' attitude because he was concerned?
seriously you really need to view things differently
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by kawawa »

Bravo. It is incomprehensible the league is playing. Great thinking on Mikel’s part
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Enugu II »

pajimoh wrote:Mikel standing up to be counted as usual. :clap: :clap: :clap:
This is his career in a nutshell. Always stands strong on what he believes.
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by mcal »

...Good move, he has made enough money to pick and choose where to dance.
Those players struggling (financially) have no such power.
Saw in the news about star PSG players flew back to their home country (Brazil) because of France strict lock down rule.
Not many can afford the luxury.
Today I am staying home instead of going to a routine doctor appointment. That can wait for another day :thumb:
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Bigpokey24 »

mcal wrote:...Good move, he has made enough money to pick and choose where to dance.
Those players struggling (financially) have no such power.
Saw in the news about star PSG players flew back to their home country (Brazil) because of France strict lock down rule.
Not many can afford the luxury.
Today I am staying home instead of going to a routine doctor appointment. That can wait for another day :thumb:
what a very uneducated comment... lets see how that money is useful to the dead when people die from a virus...my goodness, how many dead people earn money...what a daft comment
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by kalani JR »

He's done an interview.

Mikel John Obi insists he will reject any approach to play for Trabzonspor again after walking away from the Turkish Super League side after complaining about their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking exclusively to The Athletic, the former Chelsea midfielder has revealed the extraordinary events of the last few days which have seen him cancel his contract with Trabzonspor and return to London to be with his family.
While most professional sport around the world has been postponed in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Turkish Super League is still going on. Trabzonspor have not won the championship since 1984 but lead the division — albeit only ahead of Istanbul Basaksehir on goal difference — after 26 games.
Mikel wrote a post on Instagram last Friday insisting the season in Turkey “should be cancelled”, which is understood to have angered the Trabzonspor board. The player says he was ordered to attend a meeting with club president Ahmet Agaoglu, during which he claims he was instructed to take the post down. Mikel refused to delete the message.

The Nigeria international explains: “They were really upset about the whole thing. I was told to meet with the president in his office one-on-one. He asked me to take it down (the post). I told him I wasn’t going to do that. It’s my opinion. This is how I feel. We live in a free world. I have freedom of speech. I can express my opinion.
“I wanted to win the league too but at this point in time, we have to think about what is more important: to save peoples’ lives.
“I want to help in any way that I can to defeat this virus. For us to be out there playing; I don’t think we are helping the global situation. I don’t feel it is right for us to play football.
“UEFA have postponed football. How come they are still playing in Turkey? It’s not right at all. But Trabzonspor were not having it — for me, they don’t care.
“I told them I wanted to go home. They said, ‘If you go home, you’re not coming back.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m going home.'”
Mikel, 32, was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Istanbul Basaksehir and then chose to walk away from his contract, worth around £35,000 a week, which still had more than a year left to run. The former Chelsea midfielder says he had already been assured an option for another 12 months was going to be triggered, which would have taken him up to 2022.
On Wednesday, he flew back from Turkey to be reunited with his partner and young twin girls, who had stayed in the family home near Chelsea’s training ground in Surrey while Mikel played in the Turkish Super League.
He adds: “I explained to the club that I needed to see and be with my kids. They were calling me every single morning, crying on the phone, wondering why their friends were not coming over for playdates, why they can’t touch anyone on the street. I didn’t feel happy every morning lying to my kids, making up stories to explain why in order to try not to make them panic (about COVID-19).
“I knew if I came home, they’d be relaxed because they’d then know daddy was home. I told the club, ‘OK, if that’s what you’re saying, I’m ready to give up my contract. To be with my family, to help the world to do the right thing — everybody needs to stay at home at this point in time’.
“I have taken a financial hit by taking this stance. It is worth every single penny, I’m telling you. To see my kids happy and fine, to know we will survive this together; the only way we can beat this is by being at home with your family, taking care of your family, your neighbour.
“When I arrived back at London Heathrow, it was amazing. My girlfriend has been panicking all week over the possibility of the UK borders being shut and me not being able to come back home, that I’d be stuck in Turkey. Just imagine if this goes on for months? I wouldn’t be able to see my kids, to help my family? God forbid anything happened to them and I wasn’t there. I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice.
“Before we hugged, I had to come home and shower, change my clothes and everything. In Turkey, I was not tested or anything like that. I had to make sure I did the right things before touching them.”
Mikel, who won eight major trophies at Chelsea between 2006-17, joined Trabzonspor as a free agent last summer, having spent the previous two years at Tianjin Teda and Middlesbrough respectively.
He had become a key player in the Turkish side’s title challenge but had been increasingly living as a recluse in Istanbul as the coronavirus crisis intensified. Turkey had six reported cases at the time of Mikel’s post but that figure had jumped to 47 by Thursday.
He says: “I thought, ‘The more this goes on, I won’t be safe out there’. I just kept myself locked up. I went to training and then I would go back to my flat. That is basically all I did until I came home.
“I was doing so well, playing every week. The team was winning, top of the league. We were playing well. I was enjoying my football out there. We had a chance to win the league but I gave that all up to do the right thing.”
Mikel is adamant he would refuse to rejoin Trabzonspor if the club made a bid to re-sign him.
“Go back to Trabzonspor? No chance,” he says. “Not with the way they have dealt with this situation.
“We have to look at ourselves sometimes in life and ask what is more important? Who do I want to be friends with? When I’m in trouble, who is going to look after me? And, the way they have dealt with this, I don’t see myself going back to Trabzonspor again.
“I hope (there will be offers from elsewhere). I hope I will be back out on the pitch once everything is settled and everyone is back at work, everything is back to normal. I want to be out there as soon as possible. But we have to defeat this virus first.
“I am looking forward to my next chapter. I don’t know where it’s going to be. I want to be closer to home, somewhere in England maybe. But we will see what happens. The best option is where I will go.
“In the meantime, my girls will help keep me fit! I will be in the gym too and if I can, I will do some running outside.”
https://theathletic.com/1686642/2020/03 ... ronavirus/
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Bigpokey24 »

Mikel is class...Family first ...football , money etc can wait ...Turkey head no dey house, they've been playing football with this deadly virus . They've lost a worldclass player
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by felarey »

The Nigeria international explains: “They were really upset about the whole thing. I was told to meet with the president in his office one-on-one. He asked me to take it down (the post). I told him I wasn’t going to do that. It’s my opinion. This is how I feel. We live in a free world. I have freedom of speech. I can express my opinion.
“I wanted to win the league too but at this point in time, we have to think about what is more important: to save peoples’ lives.
“I want to help in any way that I can to defeat this virus. For us to be out there playing; I don’t think we are helping the global situation. I don’t feel it is right for us to play football.
“UEFA have postponed football. How come they are still playing in Turkey? It’s not right at all. But Trabzonspor were not having it — for me, they don’t care.
“I told them I wanted to go home. They said, ‘If you go home, you’re not coming back.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m going home.'”
Very poor response from the club, treating players like they're robots and property even though you invest in them is bad. Seems they didn't even try to justify their decision to continue playing, just saw him as a rented mule. The president was only seeing the $$$$ from winning the league.
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Cally »

I stand with Mikel.
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Dammy »

kalani JR wrote:He's done an interview.

Mikel John Obi insists he will reject any approach to play for Trabzonspor again after walking away from the Turkish Super League side after complaining about their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking exclusively to The Athletic, the former Chelsea midfielder has revealed the extraordinary events of the last few days which have seen him cancel his contract with Trabzonspor and return to London to be with his family.
While most professional sport around the world has been postponed in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Turkish Super League is still going on. Trabzonspor have not won the championship since 1984 but lead the division — albeit only ahead of Istanbul Basaksehir on goal difference — after 26 games.
Mikel wrote a post on Instagram last Friday insisting the season in Turkey “should be cancelled”, which is understood to have angered the Trabzonspor board. The player says he was ordered to attend a meeting with club president Ahmet Agaoglu, during which he claims he was instructed to take the post down. Mikel refused to delete the message.

The Nigeria international explains: “They were really upset about the whole thing. I was told to meet with the president in his office one-on-one. He asked me to take it down (the post). I told him I wasn’t going to do that. It’s my opinion. This is how I feel. We live in a free world. I have freedom of speech. I can express my opinion.
“I wanted to win the league too but at this point in time, we have to think about what is more important: to save peoples’ lives.
“I want to help in any way that I can to defeat this virus. For us to be out there playing; I don’t think we are helping the global situation. I don’t feel it is right for us to play football.
“UEFA have postponed football. How come they are still playing in Turkey? It’s not right at all. But Trabzonspor were not having it — for me, they don’t care.
“I told them I wanted to go home. They said, ‘If you go home, you’re not coming back.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m going home.'”
Mikel, 32, was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Istanbul Basaksehir and then chose to walk away from his contract, worth around £35,000 a week, which still had more than a year left to run. The former Chelsea midfielder says he had already been assured an option for another 12 months was going to be triggered, which would have taken him up to 2022.
On Wednesday, he flew back from Turkey to be reunited with his partner and young twin girls, who had stayed in the family home near Chelsea’s training ground in Surrey while Mikel played in the Turkish Super League.
He adds: “I explained to the club that I needed to see and be with my kids. They were calling me every single morning, crying on the phone, wondering why their friends were not coming over for playdates, why they can’t touch anyone on the street. I didn’t feel happy every morning lying to my kids, making up stories to explain why in order to try not to make them panic (about COVID-19).
“I knew if I came home, they’d be relaxed because they’d then know daddy was home. I told the club, ‘OK, if that’s what you’re saying, I’m ready to give up my contract. To be with my family, to help the world to do the right thing — everybody needs to stay at home at this point in time’.
“I have taken a financial hit by taking this stance. It is worth every single penny, I’m telling you. To see my kids happy and fine, to know we will survive this together; the only way we can beat this is by being at home with your family, taking care of your family, your neighbour.
“When I arrived back at London Heathrow, it was amazing. My girlfriend has been panicking all week over the possibility of the UK borders being shut and me not being able to come back home, that I’d be stuck in Turkey. Just imagine if this goes on for months? I wouldn’t be able to see my kids, to help my family? God forbid anything happened to them and I wasn’t there. I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice.
“Before we hugged, I had to come home and shower, change my clothes and everything. In Turkey, I was not tested or anything like that. I had to make sure I did the right things before touching them.”
Mikel, who won eight major trophies at Chelsea between 2006-17, joined Trabzonspor as a free agent last summer, having spent the previous two years at Tianjin Teda and Middlesbrough respectively.
He had become a key player in the Turkish side’s title challenge but had been increasingly living as a recluse in Istanbul as the coronavirus crisis intensified. Turkey had six reported cases at the time of Mikel’s post but that figure had jumped to 47 by Thursday.
He says: “I thought, ‘The more this goes on, I won’t be safe out there’. I just kept myself locked up. I went to training and then I would go back to my flat. That is basically all I did until I came home.
“I was doing so well, playing every week. The team was winning, top of the league. We were playing well. I was enjoying my football out there. We had a chance to win the league but I gave that all up to do the right thing.”
Mikel is adamant he would refuse to rejoin Trabzonspor if the club made a bid to re-sign him.
“Go back to Trabzonspor? No chance,” he says. “Not with the way they have dealt with this situation.
“We have to look at ourselves sometimes in life and ask what is more important? Who do I want to be friends with? When I’m in trouble, who is going to look after me? And, the way they have dealt with this, I don’t see myself going back to Trabzonspor again.
“I hope (there will be offers from elsewhere). I hope I will be back out on the pitch once everything is settled and everyone is back at work, everything is back to normal. I want to be out there as soon as possible. But we have to defeat this virus first.
“I am looking forward to my next chapter. I don’t know where it’s going to be. I want to be closer to home, somewhere in England maybe. But we will see what happens. The best option is where I will go.
“In the meantime, my girls will help keep me fit! I will be in the gym too and if I can, I will do some running outside.”
https://theathletic.com/1686642/2020/03 ... ronavirus/
Mikel marry this girl now! Still referring to her as girlfriend :roll:
I am happy
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Re: Obi Mikel Quits Trabzonspor

Post by Bigpokey24 »

Dammy wrote:
kalani JR wrote:He's done an interview.

Mikel John Obi insists he will reject any approach to play for Trabzonspor again after walking away from the Turkish Super League side after complaining about their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking exclusively to The Athletic, the former Chelsea midfielder has revealed the extraordinary events of the last few days which have seen him cancel his contract with Trabzonspor and return to London to be with his family.
While most professional sport around the world has been postponed in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Turkish Super League is still going on. Trabzonspor have not won the championship since 1984 but lead the division — albeit only ahead of Istanbul Basaksehir on goal difference — after 26 games.
Mikel wrote a post on Instagram last Friday insisting the season in Turkey “should be cancelled”, which is understood to have angered the Trabzonspor board. The player says he was ordered to attend a meeting with club president Ahmet Agaoglu, during which he claims he was instructed to take the post down. Mikel refused to delete the message.

The Nigeria international explains: “They were really upset about the whole thing. I was told to meet with the president in his office one-on-one. He asked me to take it down (the post). I told him I wasn’t going to do that. It’s my opinion. This is how I feel. We live in a free world. I have freedom of speech. I can express my opinion.
“I wanted to win the league too but at this point in time, we have to think about what is more important: to save peoples’ lives.
“I want to help in any way that I can to defeat this virus. For us to be out there playing; I don’t think we are helping the global situation. I don’t feel it is right for us to play football.
“UEFA have postponed football. How come they are still playing in Turkey? It’s not right at all. But Trabzonspor were not having it — for me, they don’t care.
“I told them I wanted to go home. They said, ‘If you go home, you’re not coming back.’ I said, ‘OK, I’m going home.'”
Mikel, 32, was an unused substitute in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Istanbul Basaksehir and then chose to walk away from his contract, worth around £35,000 a week, which still had more than a year left to run. The former Chelsea midfielder says he had already been assured an option for another 12 months was going to be triggered, which would have taken him up to 2022.
On Wednesday, he flew back from Turkey to be reunited with his partner and young twin girls, who had stayed in the family home near Chelsea’s training ground in Surrey while Mikel played in the Turkish Super League.
He adds: “I explained to the club that I needed to see and be with my kids. They were calling me every single morning, crying on the phone, wondering why their friends were not coming over for playdates, why they can’t touch anyone on the street. I didn’t feel happy every morning lying to my kids, making up stories to explain why in order to try not to make them panic (about COVID-19).
“I knew if I came home, they’d be relaxed because they’d then know daddy was home. I told the club, ‘OK, if that’s what you’re saying, I’m ready to give up my contract. To be with my family, to help the world to do the right thing — everybody needs to stay at home at this point in time’.
“I have taken a financial hit by taking this stance. It is worth every single penny, I’m telling you. To see my kids happy and fine, to know we will survive this together; the only way we can beat this is by being at home with your family, taking care of your family, your neighbour.
“When I arrived back at London Heathrow, it was amazing. My girlfriend has been panicking all week over the possibility of the UK borders being shut and me not being able to come back home, that I’d be stuck in Turkey. Just imagine if this goes on for months? I wouldn’t be able to see my kids, to help my family? God forbid anything happened to them and I wasn’t there. I wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice.
“Before we hugged, I had to come home and shower, change my clothes and everything. In Turkey, I was not tested or anything like that. I had to make sure I did the right things before touching them.”
Mikel, who won eight major trophies at Chelsea between 2006-17, joined Trabzonspor as a free agent last summer, having spent the previous two years at Tianjin Teda and Middlesbrough respectively.
He had become a key player in the Turkish side’s title challenge but had been increasingly living as a recluse in Istanbul as the coronavirus crisis intensified. Turkey had six reported cases at the time of Mikel’s post but that figure had jumped to 47 by Thursday.
He says: “I thought, ‘The more this goes on, I won’t be safe out there’. I just kept myself locked up. I went to training and then I would go back to my flat. That is basically all I did until I came home.
“I was doing so well, playing every week. The team was winning, top of the league. We were playing well. I was enjoying my football out there. We had a chance to win the league but I gave that all up to do the right thing.”
Mikel is adamant he would refuse to rejoin Trabzonspor if the club made a bid to re-sign him.
“Go back to Trabzonspor? No chance,” he says. “Not with the way they have dealt with this situation.
“We have to look at ourselves sometimes in life and ask what is more important? Who do I want to be friends with? When I’m in trouble, who is going to look after me? And, the way they have dealt with this, I don’t see myself going back to Trabzonspor again.
“I hope (there will be offers from elsewhere). I hope I will be back out on the pitch once everything is settled and everyone is back at work, everything is back to normal. I want to be out there as soon as possible. But we have to defeat this virus first.
“I am looking forward to my next chapter. I don’t know where it’s going to be. I want to be closer to home, somewhere in England maybe. But we will see what happens. The best option is where I will go.
“In the meantime, my girls will help keep me fit! I will be in the gym too and if I can, I will do some running outside.”
https://theathletic.com/1686642/2020/03 ... ronavirus/
Mikel marry this girl now! Still referring to her as girlfriend :roll:
A man must trust a woman.... feminist , killed all the trust men used to have for women ...
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