Brendan Rodgers “cannot speak highly enough” of Jose Mourinho as the Leicester boss prepares to face his old mentor in the Europa Conference League.
The pair used to work together at Chelsea in the mid-2000s, when Rodgers was in charge of the Blues’ academy and Mourinho was first-team manager.
But now they go head to head as Roma head to Leicester for the first leg of their semi-final on Thursday.
He said: “He has nothing to prove to anyone. He will always be a winner. I cannot speak any higher of him. He is one of the greats of our generation.
“He had the X-Factor. There wasn't one single thing. He was brilliant in so many aspects of the game.
“Detail orientated, man management of the players, his understanding of the tactical adaptation of the game, he had that special quality I was able to see.
“I have got nothing but admiration for him. I became a manager in my own right but I will never forget what I gained from him as a young coach. I studied him and watched him and at that time it was a really special period.”
