Antonio Conte hailed Carlo Ancelotti as the best Italian coach in the world ahead of the Bayern Munich boss' 1,000th game in the dugout.
Ancelotti will reach the milestone on Saturday when Bayern take on Hamburg at the Allianz Arena.
He has enjoyed a storied career and has won league titles with AC Milan, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
Ancelotti has also lifted the Champions League three times, twice at Milan and once at Real Madrid, guiding the Spanish giants to 'La Decima'.
And, speaking ahead of Premier League leaders Chelsea's clash with Swansea City, Conte told a media conference: "He is now the best Italian coach, one of the best in the world. 1,000 games is not easy, to stay on the bench for that long but with that responsibility to win every season is great. He deserves the best.
"I am happy to try and go close to Carlo but his career was fantastic as manager. At Chelsea I hope to continue my work.
"We have started a new path and I hope to continue my work and to grow together in the present and the future."
Saturday sees Conte go against a former Ancelotti assistant in Paul Clement, who worked under the Italian at Chelsea, PSG, Madrid and Bayern.
Conte has been impressed with the revival Clement has overseen at Swansea, who have won three of their last four games, including a 3-2 victory at Liverpool, with their only loss in that run a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Manchester City.
"He has reinforced the team and we must pay attention. If you saw the game against Liverpool or Manchester City, you will understand," Conte added.
"But I will help the players understand this and face them in the right way. But for sure Paul has done a great job since coming in."
