Sports
John Obi Mikel reveals war between Chelsea and Manchester United before he signed
It was one of the most fascinating transfer sagas in modern football history, ending in a year-long court battle and with one very unhappy club.
Now, more than ten years on, John Obi Mikel finally reveals what really happened when he signed for both Manchester United and Chelsea.
After impressing for Nigeria at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Mikel earned a trial at Manchester united, as reported in The Sun.
Still in school, Mikel left his family to go oversees and train with United’s first team. So impressed by the teenager’s talent, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes told Sir Alex Ferguson that he must sign John Obi Mikel.
A month’s trial was followed by another three weeks at Carrington.
One agent even approached the Nigerian with a briefcase full of cash – £53,000 to be exact – promising that and more if he signed then and there.
Desperate to get his man, Alex Ferguson told Mikel that he could be driving plush cars like all the other Manchester United players.
After returning home, Mikel’s first call wasn’t from United as promised, but from agent John Shittu telling him Chelsea were now interested.
The midfielder trained with the Blues and subsequently signed Shittu as his agent.
Seven months passed and Mikel moved to Norway where he trained under former United man Henning Berg at Lyn Oslo.
After turning 18, Mikel signed a pro contract with the side and, following a few appearances for the club, Ferguson flew out to meet him.
The ex-United boss declared he did not want to lose Mikel again and sent a contract worth £1.5million to Lyn Oslo.
Mikel signed and was photographed in a Manchester United shirt at a press conference.
It wasn’t until Mikel had signed that he found out Chelsea had an agreement in place with Lyn Oslo to not sell him to any other club.
“We flew to London,” Mikel told The Sun . “I remember thinking: ‘I’ve signed for United but now I’m flying to Chelsea!’.”
News in Norway had reported that Mikel had been kidnapped such was the nature of his sudden disappearance.
The Nigerian stayed in a house in London while a year-long legal battle ensued, not kicking a ball for a club in that time. Mikel did however compete for Nigeria in the African Nations Cup in Egypt.
Upon returning, Mikel met with then Premier League chief Sir Dave Richards and told him that he wanted to play for Chelsea.
A secret meeting with Jose Mourinho then took place, involving six cars just to get Mikel there. The Portuguese convinced Mikel to join.
Mikel met with Fergie again seven days later when he had to tell a very angry Old Trafford legend he wouldn’t be joining the club.
“It was surreal,” Mikel told The Sun. “I was at school, but had Chelsea and Manchester United — two of the world’s biggest clubs — trying to sign me. I’ll never forget that second meeting with Sir Alex. I’d signed a deal at United but had to tell him: ‘Sorry, I want to play for Chelsea’.
“I heard nothing from United after my trials but Chelsea looked after me and my family. I had a loyalty to them.”
Barcelona were even ready to pounce should neither club settle the dispute.
But the ordeal ended with Chelsea paying £4m to Lyn Oslo and £12m to Manchester United in compensation.
Mikel went on to make 374 appearances for Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, One Champions League trophy and one Europa League trophy.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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