Igiebor admits Chelsea toughest team he faced in UCL; claims Fulham, Everton wanted to sign him

Published: April 29, 2022

2013 Africa Cup of Nations-winning midfielder Nosa Igiebor has revealed that Chelsea was the toughest team he faced in the UEFA Champions League during the 2015-2016 season.

Igiebor went the distance in both legs as Maccabi Tel Aviv were thrashed 4-0 home and away by the Premier League side, and was also in action against Porto and Dynamo Kiev in the group stage of the competition.

The 31-year-old admitted that he struggled physically against the Chelsea players and labelled Kurt Zouma 'a rock'.

Igiebor said that he needed three days for recovery after the game against The Blues and was surprised by the fitness of the opponents.

Speaking to the Punch, Igiebor said : "The toughest team was Chelsea. Those Premier League teams are physical. I think they eat something different from what we eat (laughs).

"I wasn’t expecting the level of strength I saw from them and coming from Israel where the league was less physical made it more difficult. Kurt Zouma was like a rock.

"The Chelsea players were so fit and fast. When I went back home, I was getting massaged for the next three days because I got hit from every angle."

Igiebor is disappointed never to have played in the English Premier League and claimed that Fulham and Everton were interested in signing him, only for Real Betis to block the proposed move.

"I had two offers when I was with Real Betis but they didn’t let me leave because they wanted too much money for me. Fulham were interested in me.

"We played a pre-season game against them and I scored the only goal. Their manager at the time waited for me after the game. He said he liked my game and asked if I’d like to play for them and I said, ‘yes.’

"The following week, Betis got an offer but they turned it down, saying the money was too small. I think Everton was the second team but I’m not sure they made a concrete offer. The club didn’t tell me about it."

Apart from the aforementioned clubs, Igiebor has also worn the colours of Lillestrom, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Vancouver Whitecaps, Rizespor and Anorthosis Famagusta.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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