The former Chelsea man is not having the best time in his life in Turkey, with thousands of rival fans directing racist and hateful abuse on his family.
Mikel broke down in an interview as he spoke about the abuse directed at him and his family. The former Nigerian captain was a victim of racist and hateful abuse on social media after his side won 2-1 against Feberbache.
During the interview, he revealed that it wasn’t just the personal attacks but those extended to his girlfriend Olga Diyachenka and their four-year-old twin daughters.
“A lot has been said about this – the issue of racism but since I’ve been here, my team and colleagues at Trabzonspor have been very nice to me, there’s not been an issue,” Mikel told Turkish TV.
“After the game on Saturday, I started getting messages on my Instagram, even my girlfriend getting instant messages of racism and hatred.
“Very scary messages towards me and my family and kids. There’s no place for this. “
The club has also released a statement backing Mikel and his family and instituted a criminal investigation on the incident.
Trabzonspor Respond To The Racist And Hateful Abuse
A statement by the club on Twitter read: “Racism is a shelter for helpless and ignorant. We condemn the racist attacks against our player Obi Mikel after the match against Fenerbahçe and we bring to the public attention that a criminal complaint has been filed against the assailants.”
Mikel Obi moved to Turkey after his loan spell with Middlesbrough and has integrated himself as a very important member of Huseyin Cimsir’s side.
Trabzonspor, currently 3rd on the Turkish Super Lig table, have thrown their full support behind the Nigerian and condemned the attacks against him.
A statement by the club on Twitter read: “Racism is a shelter for helpless and ignorant. We condemn the racist attacks against our player Obi Mikel after the match against Fenerbahçe and we bring to the public attention that a criminal complaint has been filed against the assailants.”
Mikel moved to Turkey last summer following a brief spell with the English Championship side, Middlesbrough. He has been a key member of Hüseyin Çimşir’s set up since his arrival