Former Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi has praised ex-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for his deep compassion and genuine care for everyone connected to the club.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel recounted Abramovich’s remarkable response after his father was kidnapped in Nigeria. “Roman was the guy. He cared about everyone — players, fans, everyone,” Mikel said. “I remember when my dad got kidnapped, and I got a phone call from him. He said, ‘Mikel, what do you need? Do you know how you can get your dad back?’ I said, ‘I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to the kidnappers yet.’ He told me, ‘Give me 24 hours, I’ll bring your dad back home.’”
Mikel said he was shocked by Abramovich’s determination, especially since the situation happened in Nigeria. “I was thinking, Roman, he’s in Nigeria, how will you get him back? And he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get him back.’ That’s the kind of man he was,” Mikel added.
He described Abramovich as a visionary who treated Chelsea like a family and transformed the club into a global football powerhouse. “Who we are today is because of Roman. We’ve won so many trophies and become one of the biggest clubs in the world — all down to Roman Abramovich,” he concluded.
