LONDON: Jose Mourinho admits it is difficult to see Chelsea struggling under new owner Todd Boehly after the club was sold by Roman Abramovich to BlueCo in 2022.
The Blues legend will return to Stamford Bridge with Benfica for their Champions League clash against Chelsea tomorrow night, Mourinho’s first match at the stadium since 2020 when he was in charge of Tottenham.
“Chelsea… Abramovich’s Chelsea, my Chelsea, the Chelsea we built and stayed with for so many years is a winning club. It won everything with me, then with (Carlo) Ancelotti, (Antonio) Conte and (Thomas) Tuchel. Chelsea is a winning machine. Every season, Chelsea wins something.
“Then there was a big change with ridiculous investments and a few years that seemed to be lost – too many players, millions of dollars, accumulation of players and a team without a clear philosophy. For a few years, it was difficult. For someone who loves this club, it was difficult,” said Mourinho, 62.
However, Mourinho praised Enzo Maresca for successfully leading Chelsea back to winning ways after winning the European Conference League and Club World Cup last season.
“Maresca came and reshaped the club. The Europa League was also a great tournament to win. It brought the first trophy and brought back the winning culture of the club. If you can’t win the Premier League, you win something. Then they went to the United States and came back with a big badge on their chest. Now they have a good team,” he said.
Regarding the absence of the injured Cole Palmer, Mourinho joked: “I’m happy about that. He’s a phenomenal player. But Chelsea have a good squad, so if Palmer doesn’t play, it’s no problem. If (Heorhiy) Sudakov or (Vangelis) Pavlidis don’t play, I’m in big trouble. For Chelsea, it’s no problem.”
Mourinho said his return to London was more meaningful because he was able to meet his son.
“I’m going to see my son, because he’s there. My wife and daughter are in Portugal. My son is in London, so the best thing is to see him… and if possible, bring back the points we lost against Qarabag.
“But I know Chelsea are a great team, with great players, a good coach, great status and world champions. They also lost the first game, so of course they need points. If the fans are good to me, great. If not, no problem. I’m still happy to be back,” he added.