Antonio Conte has told his Chelsea stars to be positive about their horror Champions League draw.
The Blues have been pitted against five-time European champions Barcelona in the last-16 of the competition.
After finishing second in their group, Chelsea knew they had above 40 percent chance of facing either Barca or French juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain.
“It’s a draw. Our reaction must be positive,” Conte said at his press conference on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash at Huddersfield.
“When you are in this stage you must be ready to face every team. In this case, we must be ready to face Barcelona.
“When you play against Barcelona you must put 120 percent at home and away if you want to hope to go to the next round.”
The first leg takes place at Stamford Bridge on February 20 – and is scheduled to be followed by Premier League matches at Manchester United (February 24) and Manchester City (March 3) – with the second leg at the Nou Camp on March 14.
And Conte’s immediate focus is on the Premier League after last Saturday’s loss at West Ham saw the Blues slip 14 points behind City as the Italian dismissed past battles with Barca.
But he will hope to invoke the memory of their remarkable win over the Catalan giants in 2012 when goals from Ramires and Fernando Torres saw them reach the Champions League final on away goals despite the earlier dismissal of John Terry.
“The past is the past. Now it’s the present, another story. It’s totally different,” he said.
