José Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday was met with a warm reception from Chelsea fans, but the Benfica manager insisted he is focused on results, not memories. Mourinho, who previously managed Chelsea in two separate spells (2004-2007 and 2013-2015), is still revered by many at the club. He won three Premier League titles with the Blues, etching his name into the club's history.
Despite the warm welcome, which included Chelsea fans chanting his name and Mourinho blowing them a kiss, the Portuguese coach was clear that his priority was to win the match for Benfica. "I don't feed myself with these memories, I feed myself with results," Mourinho said. "My career took me to a position where everybody thinks I have magic to make things happen". He added that he always puts himself "on the line every day" and is "desperate to win the match".
Mourinho acknowledged his strong connection with Chelsea, stating, "I am part of their history and they are part of mine". He recognized that he helped Chelsea become a bigger club, and they helped him become a bigger José. Mourinho also noted the class shown by Chelsea in displaying photos of his greatest moments at the club, a gesture he appreciated. "There are not many clubs that do this," Mourinho said. "In many clubs it looks like there is a fear of what happened in the past. Sometimes it looks like they want to delete people who made history. It shows Chelsea is really a big club". Despite his affection for Chelsea, Mourinho asserted that he was "not a blue anymore," emphasizing his commitment to Benfica. "Before the game and after the game, it will be my Chelsea, but during the game, it will be my Benfica," Mourinho said.
The match itself saw Chelsea defeat Benfica 1-0, with Richard Ríos scoring an own goal. Mourinho felt that his team deserved a point from the game, stating, "We deserved something. We started well, we controlled and had chances for sure. The goal is the only mistake we made defensively".
During the game, Mourinho also took time to gesture to the Benfica fans to stop throwing items at Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
Mourinho's managerial career has included stints at several top clubs, including Porto, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Roma. He has won league titles in four different countries and is one of the few managers to have won the European Cup with two clubs. He also led Roma to the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022. Recently, Mourinho took charge of Benfica after leaving Fenerbahce. When asked about Chelsea's achievement of winning the latest edition of the Conference League, Mourinho said, "The Conference League is an easy trophy to win with a big club". He added, "I managed to do it with Roma, but I finally see Chelsea back on the right track".
