Mourinho’s Benfica fell 1-0 to Chelsea, undone by Richard Ríos’ unfortunate own goal in the 18th minute of their Champions League clash. His history on his comeback visits to west London has been far from golden. He famously triumphed there in 2010 with Inter Milan, but since then, it’s been nothing but misery. Tuesday night marked Mourinho’s seventh consecutive defeat at the Bridge, and his very first European loss as Benfica manager since taking over from Bruno Lage earlier this month.
Asked afterwards about the spine-tingling reception he was given by the Chelsea faithful, Mourinho was gracious but blunt.
“I don’t feed myself with these memories, I feed myself with victories, with results,” said Mourinho. “But I thank them [for signing my name], I did that on the pitch. When I am in London, I meet Chelsea fans every day on the street. Hopefully, I can come back here in 20 years with my grandkids.”
Mourinho couldn’t resist stepping into the spotlight during the game itself. He blew a kiss to Chelsea fans mid-chant, tried to calm Benfica supporters after objects were hurled at their former midfielder Enzo Fernandez, and even sprinted onto the pitch to kick away a stray ball.
“People in the UK have this culture, they don’t forget the people who gave them happiness,” he said. “It happened when I came here with [Man] United, when I came here with Inter. I was waiting for the same.
“When you go to Old Trafford, it is no different. It is their culture. Of course, my focus was the game but I heard it and I had to say thanks to the guys.”
At the final whistle, Mourinho embraced Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, before disappearing swiftly down the tunnel. No extended farewell, no lingering waves, just the look of a man consumed by defeat. The warmth from the stands meant a lot, but the loss burned too deep. However, there’s no time for sentiment or sulking. Benfica’s league campaign continues this Sunday with a heavyweight clash against Porto, another of Mourinho’s old teams. The legendary coach knows he cannot afford another setback, not with Portuguese bragging rights on the line.
