Conte explains decision to drop junk food from Chelsea diet

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte may be new to London but he won't be making friends with any pizza shop owners any time soon.

The Italian marked the start of his tenure at Stamford Bridge with an alleged decision to ban pizza and other junk foods from the team diet, going so far as restricting the consumption of ketchup as well.

While not in tune with his compatriot Claudio Ranieri - who has rewarded Leicester City players with pizza for keeping clean sheets - Conte says there's a method to his perceived madness.

"Before the preseason we explained that we wanted only the right balance when eating, with carbohydrate, protein, and fat," Conte said, as quoted by ESPN FC. "Not to prevent or ban something, only to explain the right balance between these things.

"At the end of my career I started to eat very well, and I felt the benefit of this. For this reason when I started my new career as a coach, I wanted to bring this idea to my players. I think it's a good solution because you don't ban anything - you just want the right balance to eat carbohydrate, protein and fat.

"It's important because it can also prevent injuries. You recover very quickly, you're more fresh in the mental aspect. I think this because I tried it myself."

Conte is no hypocrite, though. He practices what he preaches, rather than simply laying down the law to his players.

"I pay great attention to my food," Conte explained. "I prefer always healthy food. I also run sometimes when I have time to do fitness - for 30, 40 minutes. I change the rhythm of my run, but not (go) too strong, also because I think that in my career I ran a lot.

"In the training ground we have four pitches and I run around them. Sometimes I try to involve my staff!

"I prefer to avoid carbohydrates, and to eat protein and vegetables. But when I stay with my family, my wife and daughter, it's spaghetti. I like pasta. I try to avoid it because it's a lot of carbohydrates ... Nutella is not good."