John Mikel Obi has revealed Trabzonspor president asked him to delete his Instagram post criticizing Turkish football authorities, before his contract was terminated.
The 32-year-old in an interview with The Athletic, also made it clear he has no plans to return to the club.
Last week, Mikel Obi publicly questioned why football was still being played in Turkey, as the COVID-19 continues to spread around Europe.
The Nigerian midfielder had since had his contract at the club cancelled.
“They [the club] were really upset about the whole thing.
“I was told to meet with the president in his office one-on-one. He asked me to take [the post] down. I told him I wasn’t going to do that.
“It’s my opinion. This is how I feel. We live in a free world. I have freedom of speech. I can express my opinion,” Mikel Obi said.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) finally called off league fixtures on Thursday.
