Mourinho described as a ‘legend’ at Chelsea ahead of return to former club in Champions League

By Canadian Press on September 29, 2025.

LONDON (AP) — Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca described José Mourinho as a “legend” ahead of the return to Stamford Bridge of the Portuguese coach who had two successful spells at the London club.

After five years out of the Champions League, Mourinho is back in Europe’s top club competition as the new coach of Benfica — and his first game in the league stage just happens to be on Tuesday at Chelsea, where he is still revered by fans.

Maresca held his prematch news conference in a suite at Stamford Bridge containing pictures of Mourinho lifting the Premier League trophy in three different years — 2005, 2006 and 2015.

Most questions to the Italian were about the man who once referred to himself as a “Special One” and Maresca said it would be a “privilege” to welcome him back to Stamford Bridge.

“For me personally, he is a legend for this club,” Maresca said. “And from Italy, he is also a legend for Inter (Milan) where he won the Champions League, so he is a legend for different clubs in the world.

“That shows how good he is, how good he has been.”

Chelsea has lost three of its last four games in all competitions — two in the Premier League and one in the Champions League. It has added some pressure to a coach who led the team to the Conference League and Club World Cup titles at the end of last season.

Maresca felt it necessary to issue a reminder of those achievements in his first year in charge and also to point out that of Chelsea’s five losses over the last six months, four have come when his team has had a player sent off.

Asked what more he needed to do to gain similar popularity to Mourinho, Maresca said: “Probably continue to win trophies.

“I remember a moment last season … where the fans were starting to sing ‘we have our Chelsea back.’ I would like it (to be popular with fans) one day, for sure, but it’s not my target. I’m already happy if they can sing ‘we have our Chelsea back.'”

Maresca said he had injury concerns over midfielders Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos and striker Joao Pedro because of “small problems.”

Mourinho was scheduled to hold a news conference later Monday.

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The Associated Press