Branislav Ivanovic has told FourFourTwo it is "a pleasure and a privilege" to work with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
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 play under the Portuguese following his return last year.
The Serbia defender said the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid coach will frequently tell jokes to lighten the mood and is a master of man management.
"They call him 'The Special One,' but I like to refer to him as 'The Perfect One,'" he said. "His results speak for him.
"I think that 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.
The Blues 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.
Asked which competition he would prefer to win, Ivanovic replied: "At this point we are in a good position in both competitions, but we are still a long way from winning them. The Champions League is a particular kind of competition: in the knockout stage a lot can depend on luck and freshness.
"I wouldn't like to select which one to win, but I definitely would like a season with trophies."
Their hopes of doing so 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 the defender, who was not part of the squad when the Blues 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."