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Former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi has shared a revealing story about how José Mourinho once reduced Mohamed Salah to tears during their time at Chelsea.
Before becoming a global superstar at Liverpool, Salah had a difficult spell at Chelsea following his move from Basel in 2014.
Speaking on The Peter Crouch Podcast, Mikel recalled an emotional incident during a match against Norwich City, where Mourinho’s intense half-time criticism of Salah left the Egyptian winger in tears.
“Fantastic guy, amazing. Not just as a coach, but a human being as well. He’s someone you can speak to, someone you can connect with,” Mikel said. “But he obviously has his ways of trying to get the best out of players.
“Did he cross the line sometimes? Of course he did — especially with younger players. That was just his era, his method.”
He continued: “He did that with Mo Salah — he had a go at him in the dressing room and Salah started crying. Then he took him off. Sometimes, you shout at a player and let them go back in to fix the mistake, but he doesn’t. He tells you, ‘You’re not going back in.’ It’s a double whammy, isn’t it?”
Salah would later revive his career with impressive stints at Fiorentina and Roma before becoming a key figure at Liverpool, where he has since established himself as one of the world’s top forwards.
