Mikel Obi: Agent of Ex-Chelsea star offered me 50,000 euros to play at Olympics – Siasia

Former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia has made a startling revelation that the agent of former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi once offered him €50,000 to include him in the 2008 Olympic squad, Soccernet.ng reports.

Speaking in a recent interview, Siasia recalled events leading up to the tournament, explaining that Mikel did not participate in the qualifying matches for the Olympics, and only expressed interest in joining the squad after Nigeria had already secured a ticket.

According to Siasia, Mikel’s agent called to lobby for the midfielder’s inclusion despite him not playing any part in the qualification campaign.

“Mikel’s agent called that Mikel cannot come, and Mikel wasn’t a starter at Chelsea then — he was on the bench. I told him we had just one game left against Ghana, and we needed him to come help us. But he refused,” Siasia recounted.

Nigeria went on to secure a crucial goalless draw against Ghana, sealing qualification without Mikel’s involvement.

However, as the team prepared for the Olympics, Siasia claimed Mikel’s agent made a surprising offer.

“Going to the Olympics, Mikel wanted to come and play. His agent said he would give me €50,000 to include him. I said it’s not about the money. He didn’t play the qualifiers. So I should remove someone who helped us qualify to bring him in? It won’t happen,” he said.

Siasia insisted that his decision was based on fairness and that players who worked hard during the qualification campaign deserved to represent Nigeria at the tournament.

“People who played to qualify should go. That’s how Mikel didn’t go,” he concluded.

Mikel would later captain Nigeria at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where he played a pivotal role in helping the team win bronze.

However, this has added another layer to the complex relationship between the former Chelsea midfielder and Siasia.