’He destroyed the kid’ – How Jose Mourinho made Mohamed Salah cry as ex-Chelsea midfielder takes aim at ‘angry & sulking’ Kevin De Bruyne in explosive tell-all interview
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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel recently shed light on the reasons behind Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah’s struggles during their time at Stamford Bridge. Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, Mikel revealed that De Bruyne’s attitude hindered his integration into the team.
According to Mikel, De Bruyne was not the most dedicated trainer during that period. Due to his lack of playing time, he often appeared disheartened, with his head down and in a perpetual state of annoyance. Mikel likened him to a child who came to the playground but was left out by his peers.
Mikel also recalled a heated altercation between De Bruyne and Samuel Eto’o on the training ground. Eto’o confronted De Bruyne due to his perceived lack of effort, resulting in a major confrontation between the two players.
Furthermore, Mikel suggested that the abrasive managerial style of then-coach Jose Mourinho had a negative impact on both Salah and De Bruyne. Mourinho had a reputation for being uncompromising and would berate any player who failed to meet his expectations, regardless of their status. Mikel mentioned an incident where Mourinho criticized Salah during halftime, which reduced the young player to tears. Despite the expectation that Salah would be allowed to redeem himself on the pitch, Mourinho instead opted to substitute him, further damaging his confidence. Mikel acknowledged that Mourinho’s approach has likely changed since then.
In summary, Mikel’s revelations shed light on the challenging circumstances faced by De Bruyne and Salah during their brief stints at Chelsea. It appears that a combination of De Bruyne’s attitude and Mourinho’s strict managerial style contributed to their struggles at the club.
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WHAT NEXT? Chelsea face Blackburn tomorrow in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, before traveling to Tottenham on Monday.