"How could my father be racist?" Didier Drogba and Michael Essien defend José Mourinho
Jose Mourinho's two former players have come to his defence after accusations of racist remarks in Turkey. The Portuguese had declared in a press conference that "the Galatasaray bench jumped like monkeys" in reaction to a refereeing decision.
By Le Parisien with AFPFormer Ivorian star striker Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, his former Ghanaian teammate at Chelsea, on Wednesday defended their former coach José Mourinho, accused of racist remarks by Turkish club Galatasaray.
The Portuguese coach, Fenerbahçe's coach , said on Monday evening that "the Galatasaray bench jumped like monkeys" in reaction to a refereeing decision during a heated derby between the two rival clubs in Istanbul. The current leader of the Turkish championship immediately said he wanted to file a complaint against the Portuguese. Fenerbahçe said in response that the comments of its coach, "completely taken out of context (...), can in no way be considered racist".
"I have seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho. Believe me when I say that I have known Jose for X years and he is not racist and history is there to prove it," wrote Didier Drogba, who played three years at Chelsea under the orders of the Special One. "How could my father be racist?"
Former Ghanaian defensive midfielder Michael Essien has also come to the defence of José Mourinho, posting on X and Instagram an old photo of himself and Didier Drogba alongside the Portuguese coach, accompanied by three hearts.
Le Parisien
