In his prime, Jose Mourinho would dash down the touchline, sometimes sliding on his knees, to celebrate his team’s dramatic goals with unbridled joy.
On Tuesday, returning to Stamford Bridge as Benfica’s new coach, Mourinho’s most striking dash came not in celebration, but to plead with home fans to stop throwing objects onto the pitch.
Benfica, in Mourinho’s fourth game in charge, fell 1-0 to a weakened Chelsea side in the Champions League, conceding early to a first-half own goal by Richard Rios.
Still, the Blues faithful acknowledged the self-proclaimed “Special One” with chants of “Jose Mou-rin-ho,” a nod to the three Premier League titles and four other trophies he won at Chelsea – a haul no other manager at the club has matched.
Mourinho, 62, acknowledged the chants with a gentle wave, received a cheer when he ventured onto the pitch to clear a spare ball and quickly vanished down the tunnel at the final whistle after shaking hands with Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca.
It was a far cry from the fervor of 20 years ago, when Mourinho – having led Porto to an unlikely Champions League triumph – turned Chelsea into English champions for the first time in 50 years in 2005 and won the title again a year later.
After a collapse of form, Mourinho departed in 2007 but won the Champions League again, this time with Inter Milan in 2010, knocking out the Londoners on the way to the final.
He went on to manage Real Madrid before returning to Chelsea, where he claimed a third English title and then had spells at Manchester United, London side Tottenham Hotspur – an unforgivable move for many Chelsea fans at the time – and Roma.
As big offers dried up, Mourinho went on to coach Fenerbahce in Turkey, where he lasted a little more than a year before returning to Portuguese football with Benfica.
Asked after Tuesday's defeat by Chelsea if he still had the drive of his early career, Mourinho insisted he felt more motivated.
“If I am in a job, it's because I like to put myself on the line every day,” he told reporters. “I am desperate to win the next match.”
Mourinho said he thought Benfica deserved more from the game. “We started well, we controlled well. I don't know if I can say big chances, but we had chances for sure.”
Chelsea’s Maresca said he was relieved to secure a win – albeit a scrappy one – after two consecutive defeats in the Premier League and a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich in his side's Champions League opener.
“Sometimes you need to learn to win in another way,” he said of Chelsea’s improved defensive performance. “At least we learned how to win a game with a red card.”
Striker Joao Pedro was dismissed for a second yellow card after coming on as a substitute, the third time in four matches that Chelsea has finished with 10 men.
