LONDON (Reuters) -Chelsea will welcome Jose Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge when they face Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, with the Portuguese coach returning to the London club where he won three Premier League titles across two spells.
Mourinho, who returned to Benfica 25 years after his first stint, managed Chelsea from 2004–2007 and 2013–2015, delivering a haul of trophies that cemented his reputation as one of Europe's best managers at the time.
"For me, personally, Mourinho is a legend for this club. And in Italy he's a legend for Inter Milan where he won the Champions League," Chelsea's Italian coach Enzo Maresca told reporters on Monday.
"I think he has already shown how important a manager he has been and is."
Chelsea winger Pedro Neto added: "As a Portuguese (player) I will be proud to play against (a team coached by) Mourinho ...(because) his contributions at Chelsea and elsewhere gave Portuguese people the chance to play for and manage the best clubs."
Mourinho, appointed at Benfica on September 18, inherited a team unbeaten in their opening four league games with three wins and a draw and has overseen two wins and a draw in his first three matches in charge.
Chelsea, however, have had a turbulent start to the season after a glittering campaign last term when they won the Conference League and Club World Cup. They are also without playmaker Cole Palmer, who is sidelined with a groin injury.
"We need to maintain our level because the Champions League requires a high level. At this moment we have many players out with injury," Maresca said.
"This afternoon we are going to assess Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos ... But we have a squad big enough to replace them."
Maresca's side, who like Benfica lost their Champions League opener, have two wins from six Premier League matches, losing their last two after being reduced to 10 men.
"After reviewing the last games - (losses to) Manchester United and Brighton - for sure I could have done better in terms of decisions," Maresca said.
"It's like a learning process to play with 10 players. For any manager it is not something normal."
Asked what it would take for the home fans to chant his name like they do Mourinho's, Maresca added: "Probably to continue winning trophies. I remember some from last season when the fans were starting to sing, 'We have our Chelsea back'."
For Mourinho himself, the return to Stamford Bridge will be an emotional one.
"Of course I will always be a blue," he told reporters.
"I'm part of their history and they are part of mine. I helped them become a bigger Chelsea and they helped me become a bigger Jose.
"When I say I'm not a blue, I hope everyone understands I'm speaking about the job that I have to do tomorrow."
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru and Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris and Christian Radnedge)
