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.
Daniel Lewis
