Nantes coach Claudio Ranieri has sympathy for Antonio Conte over his problems at Chelsea.

Ranieri was shown the door by Blues owner Roman Abramovich and believes Conte is facing an uphill battle having to work with the Russian.

He explained: "If Chelsea is a club with little patience? Let's say it's Roman Abramovich.

"According to him, the team must manage on its own, while during this time, his main opponents continue to invest large sums to strengthen!"

Conte has complained about the Chelsea squad finding itself short this season given the extra demands of a Champions League campaign.