Nigeria international midfielder, John Mikel Obi has revealed that he spent his own money, more than N12.5m ($30, 000) to help out the Dream Team VI during the 2016 Olympic Games.
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The Dream Team VI had documented financial troubles from their delayed flights to Rio from their Atlanta camp to unpaid camp allowances.
The 29-year-old in a new interview blasted the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for their incompetence which made him put down his own money for the team.
The Dream Team VI captain revealed that he organised travel, paid for meals and booked training pitches.
"I think if we talk about the money that I put into the team I think it was more than [£30,000]. But we just had to do it," Mikel told .
"I said to myself, 'I won’t let this happen. If I can help, I’ll try to help'. Sometimes there was no food, sometimes there was no pitch to train on, there was no bus to go to the training ground. So all of this was what me and the coach had to figure out, and get money together.”
Cries of financial difficulties were heard from players and coach of the Dream Team VI during their pre-Olympics training camp ahead of the Olympics and Mikel reveals that he met a frustrated squad when he joined in.
"I came to the camp. I sat down with the boys in Atlanta and I could see the frustration, the pain and the anger. Their aim was to play in the Olympics, their goal was to play in the Olympics,” the Chelsea midfielder said.
"And for me being there and seeing what they are going through, they are young boys, they want to start their career and someone in the ministry is trying to crush that dream."
The Dream Team VI were delayed multiple times ahead of their first game of the Rio Olympic Games which they won 5-4 against Japan.
Mikel blamed the Sports Ministry for failing to provide a plane and described the situation as ‘crazy’.
NB: $1=N424