Jose Mourinho has opened up on his admiration for Carlo Ancelotti and claimed the Everton boss is one of the best coaches in world football.
The Blues head to the capital to take on Tottenham on Monday night and do so unbeaten since the Premier League restarted last month.
And speaking at his own press conference on Friday afternoon, Ancelotti revealed the Spurs boss is a good friend and that he has nothing but respect for his opposite number.
"I respect him as a manager and a man. He is a good friend. It will be nice to meet him again and I wish him all the best for the future,” he said.
"I don't remember [when I saw him last]. I met him in Milan when he was at Inter. At Chelsea when we went out to Inter.
“It will be good to see him. From when he was in Italy [we became friends]."
And speaking at his own media briefing a day later, Mourinho claimed it is a privilege for the Premier League to have Ancelotti back.
Catch the full interview in the latest Royal Blue podcast HERE
“I think everyone in football admires Carlo as a coach and as a person. If you don't know him as a person, at least you know him as a coach," he said when asked about coming up against the Everton boss.
“It's not because I like him so much as a person that I'm going to say the obvious, which is: he's one of the top managers in the world of the last two decades and of course now.
“I think it's a privilege for the Premier League to have Carlo back; it's a privilege for Everton to have Carlo as manager, or head coach, whatever way you want to call him.
"As a manager we all know him, and we don't need to speak of him, because his office in his house, I don't know if it's the house in Milan or London or Liverpool but some office in one of his houses is full of cups so he doesn't need anyone to speak about Carlo.
“As a person I had the privilege to know him for a few years, to stay and be with him a few times in UEFA meetings in some different occasions and I just love Carlo.
“I think he's a fantastic guy. I think I'm going to break the rules. Now it is one-metre distance. I'm going to break the rules and I'm going to hug him because I like Carlo very much.”
