How Michael Essien tricked Chelsea team bus to secure dream Real Madrid move

Desperate times call for desperate measures! That’s the blockbuster story of former Ghana international Michael Essien’s move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2012. 

Call it box office classic, maybe. The transfer of the Blues midfield stalwart was swift, gobsmacking and of course, exciting for the movie director. That director here was Jose Mourinho, his “Daddy.”

And when the daddy called, the son in Essien’s nickname “Bison” responded.

The 37-year-old Sabail FK midfielder, in an interview with South African sports journalist Carol Tshabalala, narrated how he left London for Madrid on a loan deal in August 2012.

“I was with Chelsea in Monaco for the Super Cup match and a strange number called me but I didn’t want to answer. My cousin who was in the room with me that day told me to pick up. The number kept calling so I picked and as soon as I said hello and another hello came from the other end,  I realized who was on the phone so I told my cousin it’s Jose Mourinho.

“We started talking and he said I heard you’re on way to Arsenal but I told him it’s not true. I had not heard anything from Arsenal. Then he said don’t go to Arsenal, come to me and I asked him where, and he said Real Madrid so I told him I’m ready.”

Speak to my agent

“It was the last day of the transfer and he said okay give me your agent’s number. I told him I’m ever ready even if it means I have to leave in the midst of the Super Cup game and he said Lassana Diarra was supposed to move to Russia so if he accepts to go then they will process my transfer and I told him okay, I’m waiting, just chilling in my room. He said give me a couple of hours I’ll call back and I said okay.

“Hours later, my agent called and I told him I spoke to Jose about moving to Madrid. He told me to relax because Madrid will come.”

“Lassana accepted to move to Russia so then we had to change our plans because we were about to leave the hotel to the stadium to play Atletico Madrid. Real Madrid began the negotiations with my agent and I was on the bus as we were about to leave for the stadium.”

Odd “Miki” on the team bus

“The bus moved and my agent called and asked where I was. I told him we’re on our way to the stadium. He said I should return to the hotel because he’s coming there. He said he had to send some fax to some people so I had to shout at the bus driver to stop like some mad man. All my teammates were looking at me like Michael, what’s going on? I told them I needed to get off the bus and I’ll see them later.

“So anyway the bus stopped and I went back to the hotel to wait for my agent. My agent came and thankfully everything got finalized on time. I told him I have to go to the stadium because at least I had to pick my boots so we got to the stadium but then they had finished the match.

“I joined my teammates on the pitch but some of them had heard the news that I was going to Madrid. Some of them also asked what was going on so obviously I had to tell them. I explained to them that this deal came up and I had to return to the hotel to finish the paperwork. So in coming back to pick my boots, I had to tell them goodbye.”

Proper goodbye

“After the ceremony, we went back to the dressing room where I properly wished them goodbye. I just took my shin pad and boots and that’s it. I said bye to everyone including Abramovic [Roman] and he wished me good luck and then I went back to the hotel. The next day I was on a plane to Madrid.”

“I went to Madrid with just my boots, shin pads, one pair of jeans, one shirt and, my Chelsea tracksuit. I got to the airport Jose was there waiting for me. He greeted me and I went to the hospital to undergo my medical and the next day I started training.”

At Real Madrid, Michael Essien had to face tough competition from Xabi Alonso for the defensive midfield position and could only settle for a spot usually as a right-back for Los Blancos.

Check out highlights of the Real Madrid number 15 below: