Antoine Conte ended my Chelsea career – John Obi Mikel

Nigeria legend John Obi Mikel has disclosed that former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte effectively pushed him out of the club, ending his long tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The 2013 AFCON winner departed the Premier League giants in 2016, following the arrival of the Italian tactician at the time.

Speaking on the Vibe with Five podcast, Mikel Obi disclosed that the arrival of Conte ended his Chelsea career, with the Italian coach making it clear he was not in his plans.

“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,” Mikel said.

The midfielder, who spent over a decade at Chelsea and won multiple trophies including the UEFA Champions League, revealed that tensions escalated when he and teammate Victor Moses were called up to represent Nigeria at the Olympics.

“He 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,” he explained.

Despite the warning, Mikel opted to honour his national duty, a decision that, in his own words, had lasting consequences at Chelsea.

“When I came back, I had a hard time. He never spoke to me and sent me to the reserve team. I was training alone for about six months. I knew my time was done,” he added.

Mikel further noted that the arrival of Kanté, who quickly established himself as a key figure under Conte, reinforced his belief that his role at the club had effectively come to an end.

The Nigerian midfielder eventually departed Chelsea in January 2017, bringing to a close an 11-year spell in West London that saw him win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League, and the Champions League.

His revelations offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the managerial transition at Chelsea and the difficult decisions that ended the career of one of the club’s most decorated midfielders.