Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack admitted on Sunday the best coach he has ever worked with is not Jose Mourinho, but German national coach Joachim Loew.

A year after switching from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich to England's Chelsea, German captain Ballack has tagged Loew - and not Chelsea's self-confessed 'chosen one' Mourinho - as the best coach he has worked with.

"Joachim Loew comes up with a training concept in his head and explains it in crystal-clear terms to his players," Ballack told German Sunday newspaper The Berliner Morgenpost.

"That helps us move forward as a team. He really is the perfect trainer.

"I can say that because I have already worked with a lot of coaches in my career."