Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel recently shed light on the struggles faced by Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne during their time at Stamford Bridge. Mikel revealed that both players had difficulties settling in and attributed their challenges to their mentalities and the intense personality of then-manager Jose Mourinho.
De Bruyne, who joined Chelsea in 2012, was not considered the best trainer during his time at the club. Mikel described De Bruyne as someone who often appeared angry and sulking, possibly due to his lack of playing time. The Belgian midfielder’s attitude led to a training ground altercation with Samuel Eto’o, as he was not putting in the effort expected by his teammates. De Bruyne’s lackluster training efforts and attitude eventually resulted in his departure from Chelsea.
Salah, who played for Chelsea from 2015 to 2016, struggled to cope with Mourinho’s intense personality. According to Mikel, Mourinho once criticized Salah at halftime, which left the player in tears. Despite the initial challenges, Salah has since become a Premier League great, winning numerous titles and accolades with Liverpool.
Mikel emphasized that Mourinho did not spare any player if they were not performing up to his standards. The manager’s tough approach affected both Salah and De Bruyne during their time at Chelsea. However, Mikel questioned whether Mourinho would employ the same tactics now.
