Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta says Chelsea sacking Jose Mourinho is "bad news" for the French club ahead of the sides' Champions League meeting next year.
Mourinho left Chelsea last week, just three days after the reigning Premier League champions were drawn to face PSG in Europe's top club competition.
Guus Hiddink was appointed caretaker coach at Chelsea before their 3-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday, and has said he would like to get Blues legend Didier Drogba on board as his assistant manager.
Motta, 33, won the Champions League under Mourinho at Inter Milan but says it is natural that Chelsea will get a boost from changing manager.
"It's bad news [for PSG]," Motta said of Mourinho's dismissal on French TV programme "Canal Football Club."
"It came at a time when they were having trouble, especially in the league. It's definitely going to be an added motivation for the Chelsea players because when you change manager, you want to show [the new] manager that you're capable of playing.
"There's more competition within the squad because everyone starts again from zero."
PSG host Chelsea at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their last 16 tie on Feb. 16 before the second match at Stamford Bridge on March 9.
At the same stage of the competition last season, Thiago Silva's header in London saw the French champions go through on away goals after the tie finished 3-3 on aggregate at the end of extra time.
Motta repeated his assertion that this season's PSG side is perhaps the best team he has played for but he expects Chelsea to provide a stern test for the Ligue 1 leaders.
"It's not a good moment for Chelsea -- things are not going well in the league," the former Atletico Madrid and Barcelona player said. "But they finished first in their group in the Champions League and if you look at the Chelsea team -- especially their midfielders and attacking players -- they're first class."
Meanwhile, Motta says that his teammate Adrien Rabiot is a great player but needs to show "a bit of patience."
Rabiot, 20, was booed by his own supporters after suggesting PSG should give him a "Christmas present" of a move away from the club in January should he lose his place in the starting lineup.
The midfielder had been filling in for injured Italy international Marco Verratti and he has been strongly rebuked by both PSG manager Laurent Blanc and president Nasser al-Khelaifi.
"Adrien is a player I like a lot," Motta said on Sunday. "He's a kid who has a lot of talent but he needs guidance."