Former Nigeria international John Obi Mikel has spoken candidly about his strained relationship with ex-Antonio Conte, claiming the Italian tactician effectively pushed him out of Chelsea FC.
The Super Eagles legend explained that his role at the club diminished immediately after Conte’s arrival, with the manager making it clear he was no longer part of his plans. According to Mikel, the situation became unavoidable when N’Golo Kanté joined the squad, signaling the end of his time in West London.
“Conte was the reason why I left. Once he came in, he was like, ‘you are not playing anymore,’ then I left . Obviously, when I saw Ngoli Kante coming to the club, I was like my time here is done,” He said.
Mikel also recounted a key moment that sealed his exit: a disagreement over representing Nigeria national football team at the Olympics alongside Victor Moses. He revealed that Conte warned him he would not feature for the club if he chose to participate, emphasizing the need to prioritize club commitments.
“The only issue I had was when he came in, Victor Moses and I got invited to represent Nigeria at the Olympics, so I had a conversation with the club,” He continued.
“Conte told me I would not play for the club anymore if I decided to go.”
Ultimately, Mikel said the message from Conte was unmistakable—his future at Chelsea was over if he pursued international duty, a stance that contributed directly to his departure.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
