"I think he's at the same level as Mourinho, maybe even better," said Cisse. "He is more humble. It's good to be confident but sometimes you can be too confident.
"Rafa is very clever. He's the best manager I've worked with. He's like a father to us in that he'll put his arms around us when necessary or on occasions he may shout at us. Maybe a player sometimes needs to be shouted at. He's very good at man-management.
"He knows how to play different systems on the field and how to adapt to different situations. He's tactically very good and he will know exactly what he wants us to do in the final.
"I don't know what sort of game the final will be, but we'll be ready for whatever happens. The boss will make sure of that."