During his first spell in the Premier League with Chelsea, Salah struggled to find his form and made only 19 appearances between 2014 and 2016, scoring just twice. Mourinho, known for his outspoken and no-nonsense approach, played a pivotal role in Salah’s development.
Mikel revealed that during one particular game, Mourinho gave Salah a harsh dressing down at half-time, which left the Egyptian winger in tears. Despite the emotional setback, Salah’s resilience and determination eventually led him to achieve great success. “He (Salah) was unlucky because José Mourinho, the manager at the time, didn’t take any prisoners. It doesn’t matter who you are, I remember a game away he had a go at Mo Salah at half-time and he was in tears, he was crying,” Mikel shared on the Obi One Podcast.
“We thought he was going to put him back on the pitch but he destroyed him and brought him off but that was his mentality back then. I don’t think he would do that now; he has become more mature. He knows how to deal with younger players, but that’s how he got the best out of us then and that’s why we were successful.”
John Obi Mikel has shared a heartfelt account of the moment when former Chelsea manager José Mourinho reduced Liverpool star Mohamed Salah to tears. While Salah is now celebrated as one of the best footballers in the world, his journey to success was not without its challenges.
