Mourinho declares Chelsea "one of the best teams in the world"

Former Chelsea boss, and current Inter Milan chief, Jose Mourinho, reckons the Blues are one of the best team's in the world, as the two clubs prepare to meet in the Champions League.

Despite four managerial changes since he was there, little has changed.

"The last time I was there I was watching all the details with attention," he told UEFA.com.

"Even the warm-up is the warm-up they did in our time. The way they defend set pieces is exactly the same.

"The position they have on set pieces is exactly the same. Sometimes they play a 4-4-2 diamond, sometimes they play 4-3-3, which are exactly the systems we worked when there."

Mourinho said Carlo Ancelotti has done well to leave what worked well alone following his arrival there from Milan last summer.

"I think it's a quality of a good coach – and Ancelotti is a good coach – to understand how the players feel most comfortable," he added.

"And instead of making crazy changes, just fine tune, which is normal to keep a winning structure. I think Ancelotti's a very good coach and the team feels comfortable this way. And the team really is top – one of the best teams in the world."

"When I look at that team only Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka are not players from my time. All the other boys: Petr Cech, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Mikel, Drogba, Malouda, Joe Cole, Kalou; all of them are boys from my time," he added.

"So it's a team without secrets for me. But at the same time I think I'm a coach without secrets for them. It will be easy for me, but I think also easy for them.

"I know them, but they know me. I know the way they play, the way they think, but at the same time they know the way I coach, the way I prepare my teams."

 
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