Mikel has not played a single minute this season after being frozen out by the Blues’ ruthless new Italian boss
CHELSEA outcast John Obi Mikel is adamant he would never swap his Olympic bronze medal for a place in Antonio Conte’s team.
Mikel has not played a single minute this season after being frozen out by the Blues’ ruthless new Italian boss.
That is despite inspiring Nigeria to third place in Rio this summer.
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr even claims Conte is PUNISHING him for playing in Brazil.
But Mikel — Chelsea’s second longest-serving player behind captain John Terry — has no regrets about going and is ready to quit Stamford Bridge in January.
He said: “I have never been a guy who makes excuses in life and never shy away from responsibilities.
“Yes, maybe people will say the new manager was upset I left and went to the Olympics, that I didn’t have a pre-season with the team.
“He probably thinks I don’t care about the team, things like that.
“But I don’t want to use those excuses. I have to keep training hard and make sure I change the manager’s mind. If not, then we’ll see what happens in January.
“But, no, I would never swap my Olympic medal for a place back in the Chelsea team.
“One thing you have to do in life as a man is that when you make a decision, or a sacrifice, you have to deal with it.
“You have to stand by your decision. You have to live with it.
“I have not one single regret in going to the Olympics. And I will not trade my medal for anything.
“It’s what I deserve. I worked hard for it, so why would I trade it for something else — a place in the Chelsea squad?”
Mikel, 29, skippered Nigeria in last night’s 3-1 World Cup qualifier victory over Algeria, scoring one goal with Chelsea team-mate Victor Moses netting the other two.
And Super Eagles advisor Rohr insisted: “He is being punished by Conte for deciding to go to the Olympics. He is doing well for us.
“I cannot punish him for deciding to make a sacrifice for his country.”
The midfielder pumped more than £30,000 of his own money into his nation’s Rio campaign after accusing Nigeria’s Football Federation of failing to provide facilities or transport at their training camp in Atlanta.
Then a flight mix-up left the players just hours to prepare for their opening match against Japan.
Mikel recalled: “The coach and I got money together. The money I put in, I think it was more than £30,000. But we just had to do it.
“I sat down with the boys in Atlanta and I could see the frustration, the pain and the anger.
“We had lots of problems off the pitch but I told the boys we still had to play for ourselves, our families and the people of Nigeria.”
Mikel starred in the bronze-medal triumph over Honduras on August 20, then flew back to England amid strong rumours Chelsea were planning to sell him.
But he added: “There was no communication. The club didn’t tell me to leave or give me the green light to go — and then the transfer window ended.
“I only have one year left on my contract. But I don’t want to leave just like that. I have been here for 11 years now. It’s good to leave when you finish your contract and you know your business is done.”
Mikel joined Chelsea in 2006 following a controversial tug-of-war with Manchester United.
He has played under NINE different Stamford Bridge bosses.
He has won the Champions League, Europa League, two Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, two League Cups and the Africa Nations Cup.
Mikel has played 368 times for Chelsea and claims his name will be etched in the club’s folklore.
He added: “I have been part of the best years of this club.
“I’ve written my name in the history book of this football club.
“I’ve done it all but, as a player, I’m still hungry for more. I still want to help the club but, if it should end, then OK.
“Players move on in life. For the first time in my career this is happening to me and I have to stand up and deal with it.”
He claims Conte has not spoken to him at all about his future.
Mikel added: “He has said nothing. I only train and just keep being a professional. This is all I can do. It’s frustrating but this is football.”
Earlier this month, he was furious that Conte implied he was injured ahead of the win at Hull, even though Mikel insists he was fit.
He added: “I’ll let that go. Because I can say a lot of things that will put me in trouble.
“I keep hoping that one day I will get to play.”
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