Super Eagles legend John Obi Mikel has revealed that his departure from Chelsea was largely influenced by former manager Antonio Conte. During an appearance on the Vibe with Five podcast, Mikel recounted how his tenure at Chelsea shifted dramatically with Conte’s arrival, who made it clear that Mikel was no longer included in his plans.
Mikel Obi stated,
“Conte was the reason why I left. Once he came in, he was like, ‘you’re not playing anymore,’ then I left. Obviously, when I saw N’Golo Kanté coming to the club, I was like my time here is done.”
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He further explained the conversation he had with Conte regarding his Olympic commitment, noting,
“He (Conte) told me I would not play for the club anymore if I decided to go. He said, ‘I’m a new manager, I’m here, we need to think about the team and the club.’ He made it clear that my time was done if I chose to go.”
After returning to Chelsea from the Olympics, Mikel expressed his disappointment over being isolated. He remarked,
“I had a hard time when I came back. He never spoke to me and sent me to the reserve team. I was training alone for a while, for about six months. I knew my time was done.”