Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has revealed that Roberto Di Matteo was his favourite manager during his 11-year spell at Stamford Bridge, despite playing under some of football's most decorated coaches.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the Nigerian international chose Di Matteo ahead of Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte, amongst others.
"I've been lucky to play under so many great managers but the one that gave me the freedom to perform the way I wanted to play was Roberto Di Matteo," Mikel said.
The midfielder worked under 11 different managers during his time in west London, winning two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League and Europa League.
John Obi Mikel has played under several managers at Chelsea
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Di Matteo took charge of Chelsea in March 2012 following Andre Villas-Boas's departure and immediately transformed the team's fortunes by trusting the experienced players.
"He took over and thought, 'I'm going to let the senior players control what happens on the pitch and I'm going to manage the whole situation'," Mikel explained.
The Italian gave the squad a tactical framework but allowed veteran players to take charge on the field.
"That's exactly what happened. He took them along with him and he made them feel so important," Mikel added.
This approach culminated in Chelsea's historic Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in May 2012, the club's first European Cup triumph.
Mikel offered insights into the contrasting management styles he experienced at Chelsea, describing Mourinho as "very harsh and critical" who "sometimes crossed the line".
In contrast, he praised Ancelotti's approach, calling him "a fantastic guy, the best manager in Europe" with exceptional man-management skills.
"I've never played under a manager that knows how to get the best out of players just by speaking to you, putting his arm around you and just wanting to know how you feel," Mikel said of the Italian.
Roberto Di Matteo was immensely popular at Chelsea, helping them win the Champions League in 2012
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He noted that other managers like Villas-Boas and Rafael Benitez would "pull you out and explain to you" rather than adopt Mourinho's more confrontational style.
Despite the Champions League success, Di Matteo's tenure ended abruptly when he was dismissed in November 2012, just eight months after taking charge.
Mikel also shared entertaining memories of Avram Grant, who led Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final despite tactical limitations.
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John Obi Mikel was a key player for Chelsea during his 11 years at the club
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The midfielder recalled how Grant once presented a team formation featuring 12 players instead of 11, delivering an entire tactical briefing before noticing the error.
"We were looking at the board and thinking, hold on a minute there's 12 players there. He was like 'oh really there's 12? Sorry'," Mikel recounted.
Grant relied heavily on senior players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba to manage tactical matters whilst he focused on man-management.
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