It’s the Mourinho who spent an age speaking to a different long-term Chelsea worker Thresa Conneely on Monday, the one who chatted to his former participant Joe Cole after arriving 90 minutes earlier than kick-off, relaxed together with his arm draped on the one-time England star’s shoulder as he engaged in straightforward dialog. The one who stopped and signed a younger Chelsea fan’s shirt earlier than he headed to the dressing room for his pre-match workforce speak.
“After all I thank them,” mentioned Mourinho, when requested of the supporter response.
“I did it on the pitch. I reside round right here. I speak with them day-after-day on the road.
“I hope to return again right here [Stamford Bridge] in 20 years with my grandkids.
“They [Chelsea] belong to my historical past and I belong to theirs.”
But Mourinho needs to win. You may inform that as he challenged selections and demanded extra from his gamers, patrolling the touchline as he has all the time completed.
It appeared odd to listen to him speak about how nicely his workforce had performed in defeat, even when the percentages had been stacked in opposition to them by the large hole in earnings between England’s Champions League contenders and people from Portugal.
He sat in the identical dugout as when he was supervisor, although it does make you surprise why the membership waited for Mauricio Pochettino to vary them given what’s now the house dugout straddles the midway line.
It did imply he was nearer the Benfica followers although, as he produced one other traditional Mourinho second within the second half.
Chelsea may need paid the Lisbon membership a British report £107m to signal Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez two years in the past, however the cash clearly has no bearing on how his previous membership’s supporters take into consideration him.
As he went to take a nook, Fernandez was bombarded by missiles from the higher and decrease sections of the stands round him.
Mourinho noticed what was taking place, bounced out of his seat and took off down the touchline – a reminder of when he was Porto supervisor at Outdated Trafford and celebrated knocking Manchester United out of the Champions League in 2004.
The knee slide is past him now. As an alternative, he saved himself to indignant waves, telling these supporters to cease.
They won’t all have acted as he wished however the bombardment a minimum of lowered lengthy sufficient for Fernandez to take the nook.
Jose the peacemaker. Jose the good friend.
Benfica did not win – and Chelsea weren’t that good – however Mourinho’s return was memorable all the identical.
There’ll all the time be mutual respect round right here.
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