Chelsea legend Obi Mikel has accused the English Football Association of overlooking his racism complaints during his time at Stamford Bridge.
The former Nigeria captain, who won every major honour in England with Chelsea and the Africa Cup of Nations and a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics with the Super Eagles, lamented the several instances in which black players have suffered racial abuse in top European leagues.
Early in April, Belgian captain Romelu Lukaku revealed facing racial slurs during a Serie A game involving AS Roma and Inter Milan, a chant that stirred fresh controversy.
This incident came after Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior was subjected to racial abuse a month earlier.
In a chat with Al Jazeera, Mikel said that while efforts have been made to combat racism, more decisive actions are necessary and that merely banning earring individuals who perpetrate such acts at football stadiums isn’t sufficient to address the underlying problem.
“I get emotional about it; sometimes I say what I’m not supposed to say”, Mikel said.
“But it’s the authorities; they decide. The punishment is nowhere near what they deserve. We are talking about someone being insulted because you’re a certain colour.
“We are the same people and the same humans.
Reflecting on his time at Chelsea, Mikel recounted instances of racism that were reported to the English Football Association but went unresolved, leaving players to endure the mistreatment without recourse.
“When we were playing, I had the same thing as well when we lost games at Chelsea”, Mikel said.
“When I reported to Chelsea and they reported to the FA, nothing was done, ignored, or happened. I had to go back the next weekend, try to put a smile on my face, and continue doing my job. That was what it was then”.
Despite the ongoing anti-racism campaigns, the problem still persists, suggesting the need for more drastic and rigorous measures to tackle it in the long run.
Mikel gave over a decade of service to Chelsea when he joined as a fresh-faced 19-year-old and won every major honour in England, as well as the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League, during his 11-year stay at Stamford Bridge.
