JOSE MOURINHO was watching over Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca ahead of the Special One’s return to the club this week.
Mourinho, 62, takes his Benfica team to West London on Tuesday night, 20 years after his unforgettable first spell in charge of the Blues.
Images of Jose Mourinho and other title-winning managers can be seen as Enzo Maresca delivers his Chelsea press conference.[/caption]
The head coach has come under pressure again with the visit of The Special One on Tuesday.[/caption]
Mourinho has won three of Chelsea’s six Premier League titles over two spells.[/caption]
The 62-year-old has lost four of his last six visits to SW6 since leaving in December 2015.[/caption]
Mourinho’s legacy remains at Chelsea and hangs over Maresca, literally.[/caption]
Although Mourinho was not due to go in front of the media until later on Monday, his presence was as clear as ever at Stamford Bridge.
The Special One, who has won three of Chelsea’s six Premier League titles to date, is celebrated around the stadium, including in the Ted Drake Suite, where Maresca’s pre-match press conference was held.
Situated around the room are three framed pictures of Mourinho with the Premier League title in his hands.
Images of the club’s other title winning managers Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, and Drake himself – who lifted the old First Division in 1955 as the first piece of major silverware for the Blues – are also visible in the suite.
It are these standards that Maresca is aiming to live up to at Chelsea and after three defeats in his last four games, including at SW6 against Brighton on Saturday, Maresca is coming under pressure once more.
Benfica’s visit in the Champions League represents a chance to get a much-needed win under his belt but the return of Mourinho adds an extra spice to the narrative.
When asked about going up against Mourinho for the first time in his managerial career, Maresca said: “It’s a privilege to face Jose.
“A legend for this club. I feel already quite lucky to be in some pictures at the training ground with the Club World Cup and Conference League after one season.
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“The target hopefully is one day we can all together enjoy these kinds of moments.”
Mourinho has been back to Stamford Bridge seven times since leaving Chelsea initially in 2007, winning just once.
That came in 2010 with Inter and Mourinho has lost four of his last six visits, playing against Frank Lampard, Maurizio Sarri, and Conte as the managers of Chelsea at the time.
Maresca is the latest to be pitted against one of Chelsea’s favourite ever figures and was asked what he would need to do to have his name chanted again like Mourinho’s still is at matches.
“Probably continue to win trophies. I would like it one day for sure but it’s not may target.
“I’m happy if they can sing ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’, because that means as a team we are doing something important.
“For sure [it would be special], but if they sing ‘we’ve got our Chelsea back’, I’m already happy. Maybe one day they can sing my name even more.”
Maresca’s name has been chanted before but most recently the home crowd has turned back to boos.
Mourinho’s face appearing in the dugout will only go to serve as an extra reminder of the glory days for Chelsea supporters who have started to become disenfranchised with performances and results once more.
Maresca’s way to bring back a positive atmosphere is to win again, starting with Benfica.
He said: “Most of the time the fans react with the results. After a defeat it’s normal the fans are not happy, the club is not happy.
“If in this moment after five defeats in six months we are not happy, this probably shows a lack of balance in this sport.
“It’s a sport I’m in for the last 30 years, so I know exactly that it’s like this.”
Mourinho, as ever, will be out to spoil the party.
His affiliation with Chelsea has not stopped him from taking digs at them or revelling in pain before, and it won’t do here.
