Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has spoken out following the widespread outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Obi Mikel who left Chelsea in 2017, currently plies his trade at Turkish club Trabzonspor.
Following the outbreak and widespread panic because of the Coronavirus, Europe’s top five leagues have been suspended with the hope of containing the spread of the virus.
The Turkish league, on the other hand, decided against suspending league football in the country, opting to play league matches behind closed doors instead.
However, in a recent Instagram post, ex-Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has spoken out saying he is not ‘comfortable’ playing football in Turkey with the epidemic spreading across Europe, according to Goal.
In his Instagram post, as seen below, Obi Mikel said: “There is more to life than football,”
“I do not feel comfortable and don’t want to play football in this situation. Everyone should be home with their families and loved ones in this critical time. Season should be cancelled as the world is facing such turbulent times.”
Meanwhile, former Atletico Madrid, Monaco and Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao who currently plays in Turkey for Galatasaray also commented on the post saying: “you are right” and “life is more important than football.”, as seen in the tweet below.
John Obi Mikel says he doesn’t want to play football with the Coronavirus outbreak
Radamel Falcao commented that he agrees
The Super Lig will however, go on. The games will he played behind closed doors
What do you make of all this? pic.twitter.com/wvO08LU6ou
— Turkish Football (@TurkFootballTV) March 14, 2020
Despite Obi Mikel and Falcao’s comments, It remains to be seen whether the Turkish league suspends league football in the coming weeks.