Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has long been known for his fiery character, both on the touchline and in the press room.
The Portuguese manager, who is currently in charge of Fenerbahçe, has been involved in a number of high-profile feuds over the years with fellow coaches and journalists alike, most memorably clashing with former Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger in a physical altercation at Stamford Bridge in 2014.
Now, former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has shed some light on what Mourinho was like behind closed doors, revealing that his intensity carried over into the dressing room as well.
Discussing his time working under Mourinho in West London with Stadium Astro, Mikel said: "I remember when he was younger and he'd come in the dressing room, and the table, he used to fling it and throw it, and the walls were all stained and he'd say to us, 'You have to fix that, make sure you pay for it.'"
Mikel, however, wasn't criticising Mourinho for his behaviour – in fact, quite the opposite.
"This is how he got us to win games," he said of the Portuguese boss, who guided Chelsea to three Premier League titles across his two spells as head coach. "This is how he got us to perform better. Every manager has a different way of motivating his players. For Mourinho, that was his style."
"When he came back the second time, he knew that we were much older, we were much more experienced players, we weren't the kids he left behind back then, and he treated us with respect," he added.
Mourinho wasn't the only former Chelsea manager Mikel discussed in his interview with Stadium Astro.
The former Nigeria international, who made 372 appearances for Chelsea between 2006 and 2017, also touched upon Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was sacked by the club after just 223 days in charge after being appointed in July 2008.
Mikel suggested the club's decision to part ways with Scolari was instigated by the Chelsea squad, particularly Didier Drogba, who was unhappy after being dropped by the Brazilian.
"When you have such a big ego, a big player, the number one guy, and all of a sudden, he's not playing. He's walking around the training ground, sulking, not happy, walking around grumpy, it wraps around everybody," Mikel explained.
The former Blues midfielder went on to say that Chelsea was "run like a mafia" at the time and that key players like Drogba, John Terry, and Frank Lampard would call the club's then-owner, Roman Abramovich, to express their concerns if they were unhappy with a head coach.
"They were our spine, and if they were not happy, they would call Roman and say, 'I'm not happy,' and once we start losing games, that manager is off," he said.
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