Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said he should be judged on the development of his players and team after the Champions League defeat to Barcelona.
Lionel Messi scored twice at the Camp Nou as Barcelona won 3-0 to go through 4-1 on aggregate, but Chelsea had chances to make the tie closer.
And speaking to Mediaset, Conte said he believed they were making progress despite recent poor form that has seen them win only once in their last five games in all competitions.
"Luck appears to have turned its back on us this season, even though I don't like to pin everything on misfortune," he said. "But I do think tonight's result was unfair. They were good and clinical, but Barcelona have players who are used to these games.
"We are still a young team with a long way to go and we need to gain experience to be competitive all the way in the Champions League. [could winning a trophy be the only way to continue as Chelsea coach?]
"It's not about winning or not. I think that a coach's work should be judged on the development of his players and what you see in terms of the value of the squad, not trophies. Chelsea can do better, but the team is growing."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's former Barcelona attacker Pedro said the team had to move on from the defeat and focus on finishing in the top four in order to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Pedro, who came on in the second half, said they had been unable to recover from Messi's third-minute opener.
"It's a pity to have conceded that early goal because we came here with a game plan and that changed it," the Spain international told Onda Cero radio.
"The team nevertheless worked hard and it tried to fight with what we had. We created chances and could have scored, but Barcelona were superior.
"We now have to focus on the domestic games we have left in order to qualify for the Champions League."
And Pedro hailed Messi, whose second goal of the game was his 100th in the Champions League.
"Messi is the best player in the world and when he plays at such a high level it's just very complicated to beat them," he said.
"It's not just the goals and the assists he provides but the other work he does on the pitch. Messi ran a lot, he pressed, he made the difference as he always does."
Gracias a todos en el Camp Nou por un recibimiento inolvidable y muy emotivo. Siempre en el corazón / Thanks to everyone at Camp Nou for such an unforgettable and emotional welcome, Always in my heart pic.twitter.com/ytDoucOO2z
— Pedro Rodríguez (@_Pedro17_) March 14, 2018
He said he hoped Barcelona would go on to win the Champions League and said he was grateful to their fans for the warm reception he had been given.
The 30-year-old tweeted "Thanks to everyone at the Camp Nou for such an unforgettable and emotional welcome, always in my heart."
Pedro won 20 major trophies at the Camp Nou, scoring 99 goals in 321 appearances before leaving in 2015.
"It has been such a special day for me," he said. "I had great memories from my time here, and I feel very loved."
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