Claudio Ranieri says Chelsea’s title defence struggles are no surprise but Antonio Conte is still the right man to lead them
Blues are finding it difficult to retain their Premier League crown and challenge in Europe and Ranieri says balancing the two is more difficult than people think
CLAUDIO RANIERI says Chelsea's struggles this season should come as no surprise - because defending a title and challenging in Europe is harder than people think.
Antonio Conte's Premier League winners are finding things far more difficult on the pitch than they experienced last season when they cruised to glory.
Injuries coupled with poor form have left the Chelsea nine points adrift of early leaders Manchester City in the top flight.
And the 3-3 home draw against Roma has also left them more vulnerable in the Champions League as they hoped going into the return match in Italy tonight.
But former Chelsea boss Ranieri says the problems encountered by Conte and his side are to be expected because of the extra demands they face.
Ranieri suffered similar issues at Leicester last season, having just won the Premier League and then being forced to cope with the added pressures of European football.
He said: “It’s always difficult to win the league the second year. Chelsea also has the Champions League and then it’s not easy.
“It’s not easy when a lot of other teams are renovating their players.”
RED ALERT Italian police on stand-by ahead of Chelsea clash in Rome
The Blues take on Roma tonight looking to make up for dropping valuable points in Group C qualification last time out against the Serie A side.
Having beaten Atletico Madrid away, Conte's side were well in control of their qualification destiny, but a defeat in Italy would allow the La Liga side the scent of a recovery.
And a bad result would also heap more pressure on Conte's position in charge of the club ahead of Sunday's crucial clash with Manchester United.
But Ranieri insists despite speculation Conte is not fully happy with life at Stamford Bridge, he is the ideal man to be in charge of the club.
He added: “He is happy. He is a fantastic manager and tries to do the best for Chelsea.”
