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Check out the always-funny David Squires on Mourinho’s homecoming before watching the Portuguese describe in his own words his special connection with Chelsea.
José Mourinho made his name in European football when he followed up a 2002-03 Uefa Cup success at Porto with a historic Champions League win the next season.
He went on to lift league titles with Chelsea, Inter and Real Madrid and a second Champions League with the Nerazzurri. The Portuguese legend more recently won the Europa League with Manchester United and completed a clean sweep of the major Uefa club trophies by steering Roma to Conference League glory. Now he is back at Benfica, the club where, for a few months in 2000, he took his first senior coaching role.
He faces a Chelsea that is much changed from his days as manager. Enzo Maresca has had an tumultuous tenure so far, with Conference League and Club World Cup highs and injury-woes and in-game management lows. While the comparison with Mourinho’s glory days will be clear, the Stamford Bridge hierarchy firmly believe in their current man and he must use his squad if he wants to win over Mourinho today.
How things stand in the Champions League league phase table after the first games.
And here is a refresher on who stood out in matchday one. Hint: Marcus Rashford and PSG.
Preamble
José Mourinho is back in west London. The Special One™ returns to Chelsea today with an abundance of memories that swirl around him in his introduction to English football. With three Premier League titles to his name at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho claims he remains the club’s best manager.
But he will have his work cut out for him. Benfica are without a win in their last seven Uefa competition games against English teams, their most recent being a 3-1 away victory against Tottenham in the 2013-14 Europa League round of 16. Plus the Portuguese is winless in his past seven against Chelsea. Can he cause an upset with Benfica today? And will we get a revival of his greatest hits on the touchline?
That is, of course, not all in this jam-packed matchday 2 of the Champions League league phase. Two all-time Champions League/European Cup geography records will be broken today as Thomas Frank’s Tottenham head north of the Arctic Circle to face Bodø/Glimt in the competition’s most northerly match ever. And Real Madrid are 30 minutes into their match against Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty, the competition’s most easterly match.
Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid host Eintracht Frankfurt while Ajax head to Marseille.
Plus action in the Championship and League One includes Leicester v Wrexham, Bristol v Ipswich and Blackpool v Luton.
Champions League
Atalanta 0-0 Club Brugge
Kairat Almaty 0-1 Real Madrid
Pafos v Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid v Eintracht Frankfurt
Bodø/Glimt v Spurs
Chelsea v Benfica
Inter v Slavia Prague
Marseille v Ajax
Galatasaray v Liverpool
Championship
Birmingham v Sheffield Wednesday
Blackburn v Swansea
Bristol City v Ipswich
Hull v Preston North End
Leicester v Wrexham
Middlesbrough v Stoke
Sheffield United v Southampton
Derby v Charlton
League One
Blackpool v Luton
Cardiff v Burton Albion
Phew! Lots to look forward to. Feel free to get in touch with any thoughts, predictions, queries or memories of your favourite former managers returning to their previous clubs à la José via email.
