Mourinho Wants to Show Chelsea ‘I am Here’ on Return

Some Chelsea players were in tears and others hid their faces as Jose Mourinho went to each of them to say his goodbyes.
Eighteen years have passed since Mourinho’s first spell at the club ended, but that “sad day” at the training ground stuck with Salomon Kalou.
“It was not just a manager we were losing,” said Kalou, who played for Chelsea from 2006-2012. “It was a great person, a mentor, someone who was willing to help you and fight for you.
“The reason why he’s the ‘Special One’ is because he affects people. He brings something very special to a club.”
Not everyone has such fond memories of Mourinho, of course, from his subsequent second coming at Chelsea or, indeed, some of the clubs he has managed since.
Yet Benfica will hope the aura returns on the biggest stage of all – the Champions League – as Mourinho brings his new side back to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
And the 62-year-old won’t just be content with taking a seat at Europe’s top table again, as close friend Jose Peseiro explained.
“He wants to go and beat Chelsea to show everyone ‘I am here’,” he said.