Conte Benched Me For Participating At 2016 Olympics – Mikel

Former Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi has revealed that Antonio Conte froze him out of Chelsea’s first team because he decided to represent Nigeria at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Mikel was named captain of Nigeria’s provisional 35-man squad for the Rio Olympics and led the Dream Team to a bronze medal, defeating Honduras 3-2 in Belo Horizonte.

But upon returning to Chelsea, the Italian manager punished him by sending him to train with the reserves.

Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel said he has no regrets about representing his country. He explained that Conte made the consequences clear before the tournament:

“He said I would not play for the club anymore if I decide to go. He said, ‘I’m a new manager and we need to think about the team.’ And he made it clear my time was done if I went.”

Mikel went anyway. When he came back, Conte refused to speak to him and exiled him to the reserve team. “I started training alone for a while, for like six months,” Mikel recalled. “I knew my time was done.”

Later, when Chelsea’s form dipped, Conte asked if Mikel wanted to return to the first team. But Mikel had already made up his mind to leave. He consulted Didier Drogba, who advised him to find a fresh start. Mikel also noted that the arrival of N’Golo Kanté signaled his time at Stamford Bridge was over.

“Conte was the reason I left,” Mikel said. “Once he came in and said I’m not playing anymore, I left.”