Deco: 'Barcelona tie not decisive for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte'

Former Chelsea midfielder Deco has insisted that the fate of manager Antonio Conte will not be decided by the outcome of his side's Champions League double-header against Barcelona.

An inconsistent 2018 has seen the pressure grow on the former Italy and Juventus boss, not helped by the prospect of a daunting last-16 showdown with Barca.

Even if Conte's men fail to advance any further in Europe, however, Deco - also formerly of Barcelona - claims that the Italian should remain in charge at Stamford Bridge.

"I'm not in the daily routine of Chelsea. Chelsea nowadays is a big club and all big clubs have the pressure of [needing] victories, even being in England, where managers tend to stay longer," he told Omnisport.

"But Chelsea's history is not the same of other English teams, of course this will be a challenge. To be defeated by Barcelona won't be a disaster. Of course, Chelsea wants to get through, but I don't think their manager's work will be evaluated by this. That's a problem [for] them and they know what to do."

Chelsea take on Barca in West London on Tuesday night for the first leg of the last-16 tie, with the return leg scheduled for March 14.