Demba Ba has spoken of Jose Mourinho's iron-fisted reign as manager of Chelsea.

The Portuguese was sacked on Thursday after seeing his side fall to 16th on the Premier League table and one of his former players has opened up about his controlling style.

Shanghai Shenhua striker Ba, who spent 18 months at Stamford Bridge in 2013 and 2014, told RMC: "When he loses, you feel as if the sky as fallen on his head.

"It's rare for him to do three years in a row. For a player, it's so tiring, exhausting.

"He pushes his players to the limit to see what they've got in them. It's up to you alone to gain confidence again if you lose it."