Michael Ballack hopes Carlo Ancelotti creates 'something special' with Everton after admitting he viewed the Italian as a 'father' while working together at Chelsea.
Ballack spent four years in London and lifted a Premier League and FA Cup double under Ancelotti in 2010.
The German midfielder revealed Ancelotti allowed him and Chelsea team-mate Joe Cole to solve a training ground row between themselves and explained the 'open ear' policy of the three-time Champions League winner.
Ballack, 44, told the Official Everton Podcast: "It doesn't surprise me that Carlo does a good job [at Everton].
"He gets 100 per cent or more out of a team, and I wish that with his experience, that he can also create something special at Everton because that is what he did, especially at AC Milan.
"As a coach, you wish always you can work longer at a club, which these days is difficult."
Ballack - who earned 98 caps for Germany during his career - admitted Ancelotti knew 'exactly at the right time' how to handle each dressing-room situation while working together.
After a fall-out with former team-mate Cole in training, Ballack insisted the Everton manager was 'more than fine' to see problems sorted between players.
He continued: "[Ancelotti] was not the kind of coach who solved the problems immediately by himself.
"It was one of his attitudes, he let things go, if players solved things alone, he was more than fine.
"It was just if it was something over-the-top or maybe he had to go in and talk about it.
"But I felt that he knew he had a big group with a lot of leaders, a lot of strong players, and this is something he immediately picked up, that he had to handle the group in a certain way.
"It was like a father talks to his kids, in a certain way. Sometimes we saw him in the father role, because he always had an open ear, but he had this feeling, exactly at the right time, to step back or raise his voice."
