The Nigerian football legend John Mikel Obi has decided to set the record straight after being accused of disrespecting Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy, dismissing the reports as “fake news” alleging that he claimed the Portuguese star was not among the greatest players in the Premier League.
The former Chelsea midfielder was reported to have said in an interview that CR7 “wasn’t even in the top 10 best players in the Premier League” during his prolific spell at Manchester United.
Mikel Obi Clears the Air on Reported Comments about Ronaldo
The alleged quote sparked outrage among fans, with one even accusing Mikel of being influenced while making the controversial statement as reported by Pulse Sports.
However, the Nigerian legend has now refuted these claims in a firm statement released via his Instagram account.
“I apologize for any confusion caused by this statement. We want to clarify that John Mikel Obi did not make any statement asserting that ‘Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t even in the top 10 of the Premier League’s greatest players.’
This assertion is entirely false and should be regarded as fake news,” the Nigerian stated. The 37-year-old player then acknowledged Ronaldo’s undisputed status as a great player of all time following his goal-laden stints with United and current club Al-Nassr.
“We would like to take this opportunity to recognize and show the utmost respect to Cristiano Ronaldo as a true icon of the football world.
Ronaldo’s achievements and contributions to the sport, both in the Premier League and beyond, are unparalleled.
His exceptional skills, numerous records, and countless individual and team honors have cemented his status as one of the greatest football players of all time,” the statement continued.
Mikel Obi’s firm rebuttal draws a line under an unsavory episode and ensures that one of Nigeria’s all-time greats is not embroiled in unnecessary word wars with a true icon.
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