“We didn’t accept him as one of us” - John Obi Mikel says Chelsea stars used player power to oust ex-manager

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has made a sensational disclosure: player power was at play to oust former manager Rafael Benitez at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard assumed charge at the club after Roberto di Matteo faced the sack in November 2012, shortly after delivering the Blues' first UEFA Champions League title.

Benitez was brought in as the interim manager for the season. The Spaniard was reportedly an unpopular choice because of his previous association with the Blues' rivals, Liverpool. Nevertheless, he led the Blues to the UEFA Europa League title and a third-placed Premier League finish.

In an interaction with talkSPORT, Mikel - who played for Chelsea from 2006 to 2017 - revealed that Benitez was never accepted by the Blues' key players like John Terry.

“We made that clear. I think obviously Liverpool was a big rival for us, but coming into the club as well. I think the fans also didn’t like Rafa.

“I think there was something about Rafa and the fans that the fans didn’t take to him. Same as the players, we didn’t accept him as one of us.”

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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on how John Terry played a role in Rafael Benitez ouster

John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel also shed light on the importance captain John Terry had in the dressing room and how he eventually had a role in Benitez's ouster from Stamford Bridge.

Terry was an undisputed first-team regular, but Benitez changed that, which the Englishman didn't like. Mikel said that Terry wanted an explanation from Benitez but didn't get one:

“Then we had the thing with JT where JT got dropped, JT wasn’t playing as much as he wanted. Obviously JT always played and Rafa comes in and was like ‘you’re not going to play every game.

"Obviously JT wanted an explanation, ‘why am I not played?’ and Rafa didn’t give him that. JT got together by himself and decided yeah, your time is gone!”

The Nigerian hailed Terry as the leader in the dressing room:

“I think, obviously, one man that actually absolutely did run it was John Terry. JT was the man. In a good way. On the pitch, JT was the man. Sometimes, when the dressing room was not together, he was the guy that always brought us together. On the pitch, off the pitch, he was the leader."

Terry spent most of his two-decade career at Chelsea before retiring at Aston Villa in the 2017-18 season.