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John Obi Mikel recalled Jose Mourinho's berating of Mohamed Salah at Chelsea(Image: Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five)

John Obi Mikel has spoken out about the time Jose Mourinho brought Mohamed Salah to tears.

The former Chelsea star defended his former manager's tough approach as a means of challenging his squad.

'The Special One' is known for his stringent methods and high expectations, which have frequently led to success.



However, for Salah, his Stamford Bridge stay ended in disappointment, only to later achieve stardom at Liverpool.

Ex-Blues midfielder Mikel recounted a poignant moment from a 2014 clash against Norwich City when Mourinho's harsh words during a half-time substitution caused Salah to cry, signalling a turning point in their rapport.

Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Mikel began by praising Mourinho, saying: "Fantastic guy, amazing.

But it was just that era of him trying to get the best out of players."

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The method in question is one that saw the former Chelsea boss deliver a dressing-room tongue-lashing to Egyptian star Salah, who responded by bursting into tears and subsequently being substituted.

"He did that with Mo Salah when he had a go at him in the dressing room, and Mo Salah started crying, and he took him off," said Mikel.

Mourinho substituted Salah after a fiery interaction(Image: Getty Images)

"Sometimes when you have a go at players, you just have a go and take them off!

Following his substitution, Eden Hazard, his replacement, failed to make a significant impact as the match ended in a goalless draw.

The Egyptian winger's time at Chelsea was short-lived.

A stark contrast to his Chelsea stint, Salah's time at Liverpool has been spectacular, yielding 245 goals and 113 assists in 401 appearances.

It is also telling that it was under Jurgen Klopp's more empathetic management that Salah blossomed, indicating a clear correlation between the manager's approach and the player's revitalised form.
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