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The players were “not having” Rafa Benitez as manager, according to Chelsea hero John Obi Mikel, who also asserts that John Terry had a significant influence in the Spaniard’s departure.
After joining from Norwegian team Lyn in 2006, Mikel spent 11 years at Stamford Bridge, winning every championship that was possible with the Blues.
The former midfield player was also a member of the team in 2012 when Benitez was controversially named interim manager.
Because of his tenure as Liverpool’s manager, the West Londoners’ supporters never warmed up to the Spanish strategist, and according to the former Nigerian international, neither did the players.
The 36-year-old continued by saying that Terry, the captain of Chelsea, was especially unwilling to collaborate with the former Real Madrid manager after he let him go.
The Nigerian alleges that despite Benitez leading the squad to a third-place finish and the Europa League triumph, the former England captain felt he had to quit and exploited his power to accomplish his wish.
Mikel said, “No, we weren’t,” to questions from talkSPORT hosts Jim White and Simon Jordan about if the Chelsea players were “not having” the current Celta Vigo manager.
“We made it apparent. Although Liverpool was undoubtedly a formidable opponent for us, I believe that Rafa’s dislike was also shared by the club’s supporters.
“I believe that Rafa’s lack of popularity was due to something about him. As with the athletes, we refused to acknowledge him as one of us.
“Then there was the JT situation, where he wasn’t playing as much as he wanted to play and was dropped.
Rafa enters the game and says, ‘You’re not going to play every game,’ even though JT obviously plays every time.
“JT clearly sought an explanation, asking, ‘Why am I not being played?’ And Rafa refused to give it to him. Alone with himself, JT concluded, “Yeah, your time is gone.”
“John Terry was, in my opinion, the one guy who really did run it. The dude was JT. not negatively. JT was unstoppable on the field.
He was the one who would always bring us together, even when the dressing room was disorganized. He was the leader both on and off the field.
“There are just too many players there with large egos, as you just mentioned. individuals such as Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, and Didier Drogba. Everyone has an opinion, you know. However, JT was ultimately the one who made the choices.
“We were in control. These people, in my opinion—JT, Frank, Didier—who was quite outspoken and vocal in the dressing room—and Petr Cech were in charge of it.
“When they feel like, ‘Ok, this manager is not giving the players what we want, we’re not playing as much as we want, or not enjoying ourselves in the way we want, we’ll come together and figure out a way of getting someone in that we want’.”