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Super Eagles legend Mikel Obi opened up on being banished by Antonio Conte in his final season at Chelsea.
Super Eagles and Chelsea legend Mikel Obi has opened up on his final season at Stamford Bridge under former Blues manager Antonio Conte.
Obi made 33 appearances prior to the arrival of Conte in the summer of 2016 but proceeded to play zero minutes under the Italian in his final days at Stamford Bridge.
While there were several theories as to why the defensive midfielder lost his place at the club, it was refreshing to hear from the horse's mouth as Obi appeared on Rio Ferdinand's podcast to clarify the situation.
Mikel Obi opens up on losing Chelsea spot under Conte
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Speaking to Ferdinand, Mikel Obi said: "When Conte came in, myself and Victor Moses got invited to play for Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics.
"Conte made it clear that if we went to the Olympics, we would not be part of his plans for the season because he needed to think about the club."
Obi went on to explain that after discussing with Moses, he advised his younger teammate to stay back to secure his club future, while he went on to represent Nigeria in Rio.
"After I came back from the tournament, Conte never spoke to me and sent me to train with the reserves, at that point I knew my time was up."
The midfielder also added that the manager tried to persuade him to return to the team after several months out; an offer which he refused.
Chelsea eventually went on to win the Premier League in Conte's first season, with Mikel Obi's replacement N'Golo Kante playing a significant role and providing a seamless transition into life without the former Super Eagles captain.
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