Andriy Shevchenko failed at Chelsea because he was too used to being treated like a prince at AC Milan, according to his former coach Jose Mourinho.

The Ukraine striker has just returned to Milan, where he spent seven successful seasons, after struggling for form during two torrid years in London [Images].

• 'Special One' Mourinho leaves Chelsea

Mourinho, now Inter Milan coach, was in charge of Chelsea when they signed Shevchenko in 2006 for a club record fee of around 30 million pounds ($55 million).

"He was like a prince in Milan and at Chelsea our philosophy was different, we had no princes. Everybody needs to work like everybody else and everybody needs to prove he deserves to play," Mourinho told Ford's Feelfootball.com.

"I think maybe he lost some self-confidence. Step by step a player goes in the wrong direction."

The Portuguese, who will come face to face with Shevchenko again in this season's Milan derbies, said the striker was not his first choice in the transfer market.

• Big Phil fits the bill for Chelsea

"He was not my first option but the club gave him to me as a second option," added Mourinho, who left Chelsea in September.

"I believe in the future he will again be a player of high quality. The truth is I never had a single personal problem with him and I wish him well for the future."

Shevchenko, 31, bears no grudges against Mourinho.

"I hope he does well at Inter like he has done elsewhere. He's a coach who knows what he wants," the striker told reporters.