Chelsea icon launches explicit rant at Jamie Carragher after Mo Salah AFCON comment
John Obi Mikel has launched a furious tirade against Jamie Carragher after the Sky Sports pundit dismissed the Africa Cup of Nations as a 'major tournament'
Jamie Carragher has been blasted with a "f*** off" by irate Chelsea icon John Obi Mikel after the Sky Sports pundit downplayed the significance of the Africa Cup of Nations, claiming it's not a major tournament.
Carragher sparked controversy while debating what Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah needs to bag the Ballon d'Or on Sky Sports, saying: "I think the problem is the fact he's with Egypt.
"And he's probably not playing in the major tournament as such, or maybe got a great chance of winning, I think it's either the Champions League or the major tournament. Normally, the player who excels in that."
His remarks didn't sit well, with pundits Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge immediately calling him out.
Mikel, an AFCON champ with Nigeria and a Champions League winner with Chelsea, let rip on his Obi One Podcast, highlighting Carragher's own lack of major international silverware with England and no Premier League title with Liverpool.
"It's so disrespectful what he said, and this is coming from someone who never won any major international competition with England," Mikel fumed.
"If you think that the Premier League would be what it is today with just the English players, you're f***ing having a laugh," reports the Mirror.
"His statement was so wrong. I hope he will come out and make a massive apology because he owes people around the world an apology [It was] ignorant to disrespect such a wonderful tournament."
Mikel praised Richards and Sturridge for trying to correct Carragher. He added: "The smirk on his face, the arrogant f****** smirk on his face to dismiss... That smirk on his face is absolutely what tipped me off.
"You have people trying to correct you and you're coming out and attacking absolutely everyone else, and discrediting this wonderful, wonderful tournament. I was lucky enough to win the Africa Cup of Nations. I know the blood and tears we shed."
While Carragher won the Champions League, the Premier League eluded him. Mikel went on: "The guy says so many things on TV, [he] never won the Premier League, analyses teams and tells them you have to win the Premier League.
"You never won it, you don't know what it takes to win the f****** Premier League, you don't know what it takes to win with your national team. You can't discredit such a wonderful, wonderful tournament.
"People in Africa die for the Africa Cup of Nations. Children grow up watching their idols. It inspires them. I am f****** angry, he spent so many years playing for Liverpool, he didn't win the f****** Premier League.
"He sits there week in, week out, telling and teaching people, trying to tell people how to win the Premier League. You haven't won it!
"Africans watch you on the weekend and you sit there, open your mouth and discredit the whole f****** African continent.
"He can f*** off. We know in Africa what we bring to the Premier League.
"If you won the Euros with England I might understand that. You won f*** all with England. F*** all. And you try to discredit the tournament that I won, shed blood and tears for?"