José Mourinho’s highly-anticipated return to Stamford Bridge, managing his new side Benfica, ended in a 1-0 Champions League defeat, but the evening was dominated by an outpouring of love from the Chelsea faithful.
The 62-year-old was serenaded loudly throughout the match, prompting him to admit that his desire to win is now even greater due to the pressure of his legendary reputation.
“Now everybody thinks I have magic to make things happen,” he stated, adding that Chelsea “belong to my history and I belong to theirs.”
The former ‘Special One’ also shared several tender personal moments, most notably reuniting with long-serving club employee Brian Pullman.
Mourinho joked, “where are my favourite biscuits?” leading to Pullman producing custard creams and sharing a warm embrace with the manager. He also chatted with former player Joe Cole and signed a fan’s shirt.
In a dramatic on-pitch moment, Mourinho raced down the touchline to angrily wave at the visiting Benfica fans, telling them to stop throwing missiles at Chelsea’s £107 million signing, Enzo Fernandez—a move that saw him briefly become “Jose the peacemaker.”
