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Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE international defender, Teenage Hadebe, has no concerns with his stay in Turkey and will fulfil his contracture obligations with Super Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor.

The plight of footballers in Turkey was thrown into focus yesterday when former Super Eagles skipper, John Mikel Obi, sensationally quit Trabzonspor with the Nigerian international concerned with the spread of coronavirus.

The Turkish Super Lig is one of the last remaining top-flight leagues, whose matches are still being held, after most of the world’s leagues took a break as authorities battle to contain coronavirus.

The top-flight league matches in Turkey are being played behind closed doors.

Mikel reached agreement with the club, for the two parties to terminate their relationship, on the day Turkish health authorities announced the first death, related to the coronavirus pandemic, in the country yesterday.

The reported cases in Turkey also virtually doubled from 47 to 98.

The former Chelsea midfielder, who made 368 appearances for the Blues between 2006 and 2017, had hinted at the weekend that he did not feel comfortable playing for his Turkish club.

He said many of the leagues in Europe, and around the world, had halted their programmes and there was no reason why the Turkish Super Lig should not follow suit.

“There is more to life than football,” he wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “I do not feel comfortable and do not want to play football in this situation.

“Everyone should be home with their families and loved ones in this critical time. Season should be cancelled as the world is facing such turbulent times.”

His club, who currently lead the league race, a point clear of second-placed Istanbul Basaksehir, then released a statement on their official website, confirming the divorce.

“The professional football player agreement between our company and John Obi Mikel on 30.06.2019 start date 31.05.2021 has been mutually terminated.

“With a mutual termination agreement, the football player gave up all his forward-looking receivables.”

Mikel appeared to receive support from some of the football legends, with his former Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba, who also had a stint in Turkey, describing his statement as ‘‘words of wisdom.’’

Colombian forward, Radameo Falcao, one of the players with the highest international profiles playing in the Turkish Super Lig, also threw his support behind Mikel.

“You are right John. The life is more important than football,” said Falcao.

Professional players from Galatasaray’s basketball team released a joint statement urging the Turkish Basketball Super League to suspend games.

“We appreciate the Turkish government has taken measures to slow down the spread of the virus however we find it quite bizarre that we keep playing, despite it being behind closed doors,” they said.

“We have seen how hesitation to take extreme action has provoked a spike in cases in neighbouring countries and we believe now is the time to take extreme action.”

There have been reports that the 32-year-old Mikel was set for a sensational return to Chelsea, to take up a coaching role under Frank Lampard, which the player was forced to dismiss.

“To be honest, I have no idea where this story came from,” Mikel told Sabah. “I was surprised when I saw the news because neither me nor my club had a meeting with Chelsea about becoming a coach.

“Chelsea is, of course, my home, but the reports aren’t true.”

Mikel was contracted at Trabzonspor until May next year but, after the two parties decided to terminate the contract, he will not receive the financial rewards he was set to get from now onwards until the end of the deal.

Turkey has also provided a home for Zimbabwe international defender, Hadebe, who moved to Yeni Malatyaspor and the start of the season after leaving South African giants Kaizer Chiefs.

Hadebe’s manager, Gibson Mahachi, told The Herald yesterday his client had not expressed any concerns about staying, and playing, in Turkey.

‘‘I talk to him every day, remember this is a guy who was blessed with twins recently, and we have been in some celebratory mood because of that,’’ said Mahachi.

‘‘In all our exchanges, he has never expressed any concerns about staying, and playing, in Turkey.

‘‘He has absolute trust in the authorities and he believes they will always do what is in the best interests of the athletes and that gives him peace of mind.

‘‘Of course, people are different, and John Obi Mikel might have felt otherwise, but that’s a decision he has made on his own and we have to respect that.

‘‘But, there are a lot of foreign-based footballers in Turkey, from all parts of the world, and we haven’t heard all of them saying that they want to leave, or their contracts terminated, and that means they also have confidence with what they are getting from the authorities.

‘‘What we are facing right now is a disaster and we have to be careful how we react and we have always believed that the experts are best qualified to make decisions and whatever they decide, Teenage will comply with that.’’

Hadebe has missed his team’s last three league matches because he is serving a suspension. Yeni Malatyaspor have had a miserable second half of the season, after showing a lot of promise at the start of the campaign in which they even featured in the race for the European places, and have lost four of their last five matches with their only joy coming in a draw.

They have plummeted down the table and are now just ahead of the team occupying the final relegation spot by goal difference with just 25 points from 26 matches.