'I am not a Blue now' – Mourinho putting history aside ahead of Chelsea reunion

Jose Mourinho insisted that he is "not a Blue now" ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge for Benfica's Champions League clash with Chelsea on Tuesday. 

Mourinho enjoyed two successful stints with Chelsea, winning eight major trophies, which include three Premier League titles and as many EFL Cup trophies.

The 62-year-old was most recently in charge of Fenerbahce but was sacked after failing to qualify for Europe's elite competition, losing in a play-off qualifier to Benfica. 

But a poor run of form for Benfica saw Bruno Lage relieved of his duties, with Mourinho returning to the club he started his managerial career at 25 years ago. 

This will be Mourinho's first trip to Stamford Bridge since November 2020, when he was at the helm with Tottenham, though he has struggled against his former employers. 

Indeed, he won his first-ever game as a visiting manager at Stamford Bridge, with his Inter side beating Chelsea 1-0 in March 2010 in the Champions League.

Since then, the new Benfica boss has failed to win in each of his six away games against the Blues across all competitions (D2 L4).

Mourinho has also won only four of his 14 matches against Chelsea across all competitions (D3 L7), with none of those victories coming in the seven most recent games. 

In fact, not since February 2018 has he beaten Chelsea, guiding Manchester United to a 2-1 triumph over them at Old Trafford. 

"I am feeling home. I have already played here with Spurs, Manchester United and Inter. But I am not a blue now. I am red. And I want to win," Mourinho told reporters.

"I am expecting two teams wanting to win. Chelsea will only play for a victory, especially after losing the first game [against Bayern]. We will have to defend well to win the game.

"Our tactical approach is to try and win the game. We have Chelsea, Real Madrid and Newcastle in this competition. All these games are hard.

"So tomorrow we have to chase the points. Our Champions League fixtures are harder than Chelsea's games."

Mourinho is often credited with overseeing the most successful period in Chelsea's history in terms of trophies, though the Blues have since fallen by the wayside. 

After leaving the club in 2015 after his second spell, Chelsea had won just four major titles heading into the 2024-25 campaign, with the Blues also having eight different permanent managers since his departure. 

Enzo Maresca helped Chelsea back to silverware last season, with the Italian guiding them to the Conference League crown as well as the revamped Club World Cup title.

And despite pledging his allegiance to the red side during this match, Mourinho believes that, under Maresca's stewardship, the Blues are heading back to their glory days. 

"Even from the outside myself, I wondered about Chelsea's identity as a club, but the last season put things back on track," Mourinho added. 

"They gave trust in Enzo [Maresca], he brought his ideas, he fit the philosophy of the club. The Conference League is an easy cup for a big club to win - I did it with Roma - it is quite easy for a big club.

"The Club World Cup, I also say the Champions League is much more important, but the badge means a lot. It means a lot to be the first club to win that Club World Cup.

"It gives them a base of trust and confidence. I feel it at the supporters' level. I live five minutes from here, and we know the Chelsea population.

"It was a period of doubt, but now it is a period of happiness and trust. I think Chelsea is back on track."

But Mourinho could be in for a difficult day at the office, with Chelsea winning all four of their competitive meetings with Benfica by an aggregate scoreline of 9-3.