• Premier League

Mourinho is 'The Perfect One', says Ivanovic

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic has labelled Jose Mourinho the 'Perfect One' following the club's unbeaten start to the season.

Ivanovic joined Chelsea from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2008, after Mourinho's initial stint at Stamford Bridge came to an end, but he has relished the chance to work under the manager following his return last year.

The centre-back revealed that Mourinho frequently tells jokes to lighten the mood among his squad and says he is a master of man management.

Jose Mourinho is a master of man management, according to Branislav Ivanovic © Getty Images

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"They call him 'The Special One', but I like to refer to him as 'The Perfect One'", Ivanovic told FourFourTwo. "His results speak for him.

"He is the most intelligent coach: he knows what he wants. He knows when to tighten up and when to loosen up. He knows what to demand from the team and from an individual player, and he knows how to deal with stress situations and to relax the atmosphere. It's a pleasure and a privilege to work with him."

Chelsea failed to lift a trophy in Mourinho's first season back, but they are currently six points clear at the top of the Premier League and have already won their Champions League group.

Their hopes of winning silverware have been boosted by several new arrivals this year. Ivanovic described compatriot Nemanja Matic, who re-joined the club in January, as a "phenomenal player" and said he had not been surprised by the impact summer arrivals Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa have made.

"I knew that they were top players, so I can't say that they have been better than I expected," he said. "They proved their class. They were key signings - with them, things clicked and the puzzle came together. Cesc with his pace, aggression and experience from Champions League, and Diego with his coolness in front of goal and his efficiency. They immediately made an impact."

Ivanovic also said scoring the winning goal in the 2013 Europa League final against Benfica had done nothing to soften the blow of missing out on the club's 2012 Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich through suspension.

"No, it did not," said Ivanovic, who was not part of the squad when Chelsea lost to Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final.

"The Champions League is the Champions League and I would always swap the winning goal in Amsterdam for being on the pitch in Munich, no matter if I was part of the team that won the Champions League. I was glad that we won the Europa League, but they are two different competitions."

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