Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has launched a scathing attack on the club's current owners, BlueCo, claiming they are deliberately ignoring former staff who helped build the club's success under previous owner Roman Abramovich. Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel expressed frustration at the club's direction and poor form this season, which has left them fighting for European qualification.
Mikel's Criticism of BlueCo
Mikel, who spent 11 years at Chelsea and won multiple trophies, said: "It's this thing of BlueCo not wanting anyone who represented the football club before and who helped build the club to what it is today. They don't want the people still, which is the wrong thing to do." He argued that the club needs individuals who understand its culture and history to maintain success. "You need to continue that success. You need the people who knew what it took to build the football club to what it is today. You need the people to continue the success, the culture. We don't have that any more," he added.
Call for John Terry's Involvement
Mikel has been a vocal advocate for club legend John Terry to take a role in the first-team setup. Terry, who served as captain during Chelsea's most successful era, currently holds a part-time consultancy role in the academy. However, he confirmed on TikTok that he has not been contacted about joining interim manager Calum McFarlane's staff following Liam Rosenior's sacking. "I am not sure what Calum's backroom staff is going to look like, I have not had a call, I have not had a message," Terry said. Mikel insisted: "You need a voice - someone like John Terry. I keep saying it; he needs to be part of that football club in any capacity. He has to be. Somebody who has been there, done it, won trophies, can sit young players down and tell them who we are. Nobody is doing that."
Loss of Club DNA
Mikel lamented the disappearance of Chelsea's identity under the current ownership. "The DNA of the football club is gone. It's not the same Chelsea that I know - the same football club that I love, that I played for," he said. He emphasized the need for experienced figures to guide young players: "When you're bringing in players, young, talented players, you need a voice, you need somebody who's been there, who knows the football club, who can straight away tell you what the football club means."
Despite acknowledging that the club may be upset by his comments, Mikel remained unapologetic. "They can get upset as much as they want. I will keep saying it. The club can get angry with me as much as they want - which I know they do. But I am only saying it from a good place because I care for the football club," he said. "I am not saying win today, win every season. But show me some sense of direction that we are moving forward. That we are pointing in the right direction, that we want to continue to be successful."
