Nigeria coach Berti Vogts says he and Chelsea boss Avram Grant are both mystified at the spate of red cards flashed at Mikel John Obi by referees in the English Premier League and stated that the Nigeria youngster is not a dirty player.
Mikel was sent off in the first leg of the Carling Cup semifinal against Everton, his fourth career expulsion with Chelsea, but Vogts says the 21-year-old should be given more leeway as he is not a dirty player.
“I cannot understand all the red cards he gets and I have spoken with his manager at Chelsea and he also cannot understand it. But we have to help him and we have to support him.
“I watched the match against Everton and sincerely I still do not think that was a red card, maybe just a yellow card and nothing more,” Vogts told KickOffnigeria.com.
The German World Cup winner was emphatic that Mikel was one of the cornerstones of his team.
“Mikel is one of the top players in my team and I support him and all the other players support him very well.
“He is young and may sometimes play aggressively. Europe and Africa are quite different. He is a very fine player. He may not be a worker but he is a game maker and is one of the leaders in my team and you must understand he is still only twenty one years old.” Save & Share
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