Antonio Conte insists Chelsea loss to Barca was 'unfair', says Messi is best player for 50 years
ByReuters
Updated 15/03/2018 at 08:49 GMT
Antonio Conte insisted Barcelona's Champions League win over Chelsea on Wednesday was unfair after his team's valiant efforts were overshadowed by Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou.
Chelsea's Italian coach Antonio Conte (CL) talks with Barcelona's Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (CR) after the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen second leg football match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on
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Messi scored twice and set up Ousmane Dembele for the other as the hosts won 3-0 and progressed to the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea, however, were unlucky after they were again denied by the woodwork.
Willian had been robbed by the post twice in the first leg while on Wednesday a Marcos Alonso free-kick smacked off the post before Antonio Rudiger headed against the woodwork late on.
"We have no regrets," said Conte.
If you watch the game, you can see the final result is unfair.
"We conceded a goal, our start was terrible. We hit the post four times, this is very strange.
"I must be honest, I have to be very proud about my players, we have to continue together this way, with this will to fight, this desire to fight together."
Chelsea were arguably the better team in the 1-1 first leg draw, but in Catalonia they were dismantled by Messi, who twice fired through the legs of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to take him to 100 Champions League goals.
And Conte also explained why he embraced the Argentine after the match. "When you have the opportunity to make a great compliment to Messi at the end of the game, I think it's right," Conte said.
"We are talking about an extraordinary player, the best in the world. I think we are talking about the player that can move the final result for every team that he's playing for. This type of player, (there is) one player born in 50 years."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's Belgian goalkeeper admitted he made mistakes but said he must take that on the chin.
"(For) the first goal I didn't expect Lionel Messi to shoot from that angle and I was too late in closing my legs. It was a mistake on my part," said Courtois.
"It's annoying but I don't think I have to hide inside. I have to come out and be a man and show you made a mistake and move on."
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