Drogba & Essien: ‘The Special One’ Is Not Racist
Former football stars Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) and Michael Essien (Ghana) have defended their former Chelsea coach, José Mourinho, against racism accusations from Turkish club Galatasaray.
Galatasaray accused Fenerbahçe’s Portuguese coach of making “racist remarks” after the 0-0 draw between the two rival teams in Istanbul on Monday during Matchday 25 of the Turkish Super League.
League leaders Galatasaray announced that they would take legal action against the 62-year-old coach, stating: “Since his arrival in Turkey, José Mourinho has consistently made insulting remarks directed at the Turkish people.”
However, Fenerbahçe, currently six points behind Galatasaray in the league, dismissed the allegations in a statement on Tuesday, claiming that Mourinho’s comments had been “completely taken out of context and deliberately distorted.”
Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Drogba, who played three years under Mourinho at Chelsea, wrote: “I have seen the recent comments about José Mourinho. Believe me when I say that I have known José for many years. He is not a racist, and history (both past and present) proves it.”
The former Marseille striker, who also played for Galatasaray, where he became a fan favorite, added: “How could my father be racist?”
Similarly, Essien, another ex-Chelsea midfielder, posted a throwback picture with Drogba and Mourinho on X and Instagram, captioned with three heart emojis, showing his support for his former coach.
