Jose Mourinho’s return to Chelsea Football Club has been nothing short of romantic.
Back in April of 2013, the Portuguese legend sent west London into a frenzy of anticipation with a few words at an unordinary post-match press conference. After being knocked out of the Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, Mourinho went off on a bit of an unrelated tangent… “I know in England I’m loved,” he told reporters.
I’m loved by the fans, I’m loved by the media that treats me in a fair way, criticising me but giving me credit when I deserve it. I know I’m loved by some clubs, especially one
I wonder who that ‘one’ club might be, Jose? He then went on to express how the Spanish media hate him, and that while he intended to finish the season with Los Blancos strongly, he was also set on having crunch talks with president Florentino Perez regarding his future at the club.
As well as Mourinho and Real Madrid, Chelsea endured a rough season that year. Fan-favourite Roberto Di Matteo was sacked, the unpopular Rafa Benitez was appointed, and come May the Blues had gained nothing but a bittersweet Europa League title.
However, Chelsea were flying high going into that season. The Blues were both Champions of Europe and FA Cup holders, and signed two rising stars in the form of Eden Hazard and Oscar. There was an arrogant, superior air around SW6 as the 2012 campaign kicked off in August.
Surprisingly though, it began with defeat in the Community Shield at the hands of Manchester City and a 4-1 demolition in the UEFA Super Cup by Europa League winners Atletico Madrid. Chelsea earned just one trophy out of the seven available to them. They became the first Champions League holder to not advance past the group stage the following season. Chelsea did go on to win the Europa League though, which is good, but it’s one of our more forgettable successes. What was even worse was being embarrassingly defeated in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup by Brazilian side Corinthians. We could have been World Champions! Controversial FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals saw Chelsea bow out of both competitions, but they did finish third in the league, which was solid given the dominance of both Manchester clubs that year.
So, where did it all go wrong for Chelsea? Look no further than the manager. Roberto Di Matteo is a club legend without a doubt, and many (including myself) will argue that he deserved more time after getting the sack so early. In reality, the Italian deserved the world for bringing the European Cup to England’s capital before anyone else… but Robbie ended up being yet another victim of Abramovic’s cutthroat managerial policy. In Roman’s defense, the 2012/2013 season up to that point was not up to Chelsea standard, especially after the previous one. In my opinion though, that was no reason to go out and sack Di Matteo, who had done so much for the club.
What was even worse was his temporary replacement, Rafa Benitez. Out of all people, why him?! The Spaniard was Jose Mourinho’s arch-enemy back in the day… The two clashed on many different occasions, the 2005 Carling Cup final and the “ghost goal” that same year, to name a couple. It was always Benitez in the red corner, with Liverpool, and Mourinho in the Blue corner, with Chelsea. Back in those days, Rafa said some things that I’m sure he immediately regretted upon his shocking arrival at Chelsea in late 2012.
In 2007 ahead of one of the many clashes between red and blue, Benitez said something so good that it was printed on a plaque and hung up at Liverpool’s training compound, Melwood. “We don’t need to give away flags for our fans to wave – our supporters are always there with their hearts, and that is all we need. It’s the passion of the fans that helps to win matches – not flags.” Benitez was instantly hated by the entire population of Chelsea fans upon that statement, so imagine how we felt when he became the manager of our players…
Sometime in between managing Liverpool and Chelsea, the Spaniard once said: “Chelsea is a big club with fantastic players, every manager wants to coach a such a big team. But I would never take that job, in respect for my former team at Liverpool, no matter what. For me there is only one club in England, and that’s Liverpool.” Erm… Right, so what are you doing here again?
He was met with an unbelievably hostile welcome, nobody wanted him around. Insults and abuse were everywhere. ‘One Di Matteo’ chants rung around Stamford Bridge every sixteenth minute for as long as I can remember.
Benitez was unable to deliver success across most competitions, but there is some credit to be given. He guided Chelsea to a respectable third place league finish and won us a Europa League title. It was nice to get some silverware, especially European silverware, but let’s be honest: winning the Mickey Mouse Cup isn’t an achievement. Sure, we were happy to end the season with a trophy, but it was a pity to look back and realize that three-hundred and sixty-one days prior we were lifting the famous European Cup and making history. The Europa League was almost like a step back for Chelsea, a regression. It was a trophy nonetheless, and onwards we went.
The managerial merry-go-round that had been taking place at Chelsea over the last few seasons would finally be coming to an end though soon, and change was on its way in the shape of Jose Mourinho…
“It was an easy decision. I met the boss, the owner and I think in five minutes after a couple of very short but pragmatic questions we decided straight away. I asked the boss ‘do you want me back?’ and the boss asked me ‘do you want to come back?’ I think in a couple of minutes the decision was made.” I can’t think of one Chelsea supporter on this entire earth that wouldn’t have had Jose Mourinho back at the club that summer. In the news, many were gossiping that Jose was interested in taking the Manchester United job and was planning on snubbing us, but I didn’t believe that for a second. He called himself ‘The Happy One’, and couldn’t help but contain his joy to be back at the club he loves. Mourinho and Chelsea are a match made in heaven, and a love story that I never want to see come to an end.
Here’s a clip of the Portuguese’s first interview back at Chelsea. Look at that smile!
Alright, now it’s time to get down to business. With one of, if not the world’s best manager at the helm, it was time to get working on preparing the team for not only the 2013/2014 season, but for the future. In came Andre Schurrle, Marco van Ginkel, Mark Schwarzer, and Samuel Eto’o. Willian was the most expensive signing of the summer, but the Blues were able to save a few bucks courtesy of Tottenham and their eagerness to fly the Brazilian out to London. Mourinho’s plan was to work with the young and talented team he was given, add some new faces, and get Chelsea back to it’s winning ways.
Jose really showed his boldness and ruthlessness in the January transfer window. Fan favorite Juan Mata was exiled from the starting eleven and was sold to Manchester United for an unbelievable fee of £37.1 million, because he didn’t fit in Jose’s tactical plan. Kevin De Bruyne, a young Belgian attacker who was tipped for a big future, was sold to Wolfsburg for £17 million. He and Mourinho never really got on with each other, and the youngster was clearly upset by his lack of playing time. Off he went, to the dismay of many supporters. In the same breath, Mourinho went out and spent £21 million on re-signing Nemanja Matic, who had departed a few years earlier for a fraction of that cost. Sounds absolutely ridiculous, right? Well, from a present-day perspective we can see that the Portuguese knew exactly what he was doing. Mohamed Salah was brought in along with Kurt Zouma as well that winter, but the two youngsters have a long way to go at Chelsea before we can ultimately judge them. My favourite Chelsea YouTuber Feroze Ali created a brilliant video highlighting the project that Jose Mourinho and Chelsea were undergoing.
The Blues were flying that season, but there was one overall theme that eventually would cost them success. Mourinho knew how to set his side up to beat the big teams, but would often struggle against smaller sides. Killing off games was impossible. We allowed lesser teams to push us around way too often, and those points we dropped ended up causing us to miss out on the title. We beat Arsenal 6-0, and later on Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge was ended by almost-relegated Sunderland. No luck in either domestic cup meant that it was just the Premier League and the Champions League to play for. Galatasaray were taken care of easily and we dramatically overcame a 3-1 deficit to advance past PSG. But, we just didn’t have enough to get past Atletico Madrid, who had their way with us at The Bridge in April. We chased that Premier League title till the very end, but it was bad results against Crystal Palace, Sunderland, and Norwich that killed our title hopes. The season ended trophyless. Meanwhile, Arsenal broke their trophy drought of nearly nine years by winning the FA Cup. They went on to mock us, because of course the one season we don’t win anything, they finally do. The ‘Wenger > Mourinho’ Tweets were unbearable. Meanwhile, Manchester City picked up the Premier League title and the Capital One Cup double. We sat there with nothing. Jose Mourinho was back, which was great, yet he was unable to guide us to silverware of any kind. It was a low point. It wasn’t a good feeling. Yet, I was slightly optimistic for one reason: we had Jose, and he knows how to win.
BUT WAIT, let’s rewind for a second. Jose Mourinho is no stranger to legendary press conferences. It was an encouraging premonition that, when looked back on today, was remarkably accurate. This press conference took place in February of 2014, the middle of the season. Watching this video now chills my bones to the very core.
It was inexplicably clear that Jose Mourinho would accept nothing but success the next season, and that showed through the business that was done in the summer of 2014. Cesc Fabregas, formerly of Barcelona and Arsenal joined. Diego Costa came in from Atletico Madrid, the two Spaniards combining for a fee of £62 million. No matter the price, Jose knew who he wanted, what his team needed, and he pulled the trigger. Finally, we possessed a forward who could score goals, something we’d been dying for since the departure of our beloved Didier Drogba. Oh yeah, Didier rejoined us as well, along with Loic Remy. Torres, Ba, and Eto’o were all offloaded and replaced. The core of strikers was completely revamped, for the better. David Luiz, someone who many thought could be our next captain someday, departed for a fee rumoured to be around £50 million. That silly amount of money didn’t go to waste, that’s for sure… Cesc Fabregas came in to bring a totally new dynamic into midfield alongside the powerhouse known as Nemanja Matic. Filipe Luis also joined to add some depth in defence. Also, how could I forget… Thibaut Courtois was finally brought in from Atletico Madrid and it was clear to see that the Belgian was Jose’s new number one. All of Chelsea’s transfers were done early on which allowed his new signings to have a full preseason with the rest of the squad. We were hungrier than ever. It was time to put ourselves back on the map.
Here’s Feroze Ali with another fantastic video.
Something new indeed! Chelsea entered the 2014/2015 Premier League season as title favourites, and with good reason. The Blues didn’t suffer a single defeat until December and cruised their way to a fourth Barclays Premier League crown. Chelsea smashed a record previously held by Manchester United by remaining at the top of the table for an astonishing 274 days. The Londoners moved into first on August 30th and never looked back. Chelsea were defeated just three times in all competitions. The 2-0 thrashing of Spurs at Wembley to scoop up the League Cup was truly the cherry atop the delicious sundae of success that was 2015.
Newcomers Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas flourished. Diego led the race for the Golden Boot and would have easily won it had he not missed so much time due to injury. Well, maybe not easily… Sergio Aguero’s penalty-taking was always going to give himself a better chance of finishing as the league’s top scorer, which he did. Diego tallied twenty Premier League goals in his first season with Chelsea, which I consider a success. Without him, winning the title wouldn’t have been possible. What a signing. Let’s not forget Cesc Fabregas, whose transfer to SW6 was brilliant for two reasons: it pissed off the Arsenal fans, and Chelsea had gained one of the world’s best midfielders. Fabregas and his magic hat provided an important element of wizardry to Chelsea’s game that resulted in eighteen assists, the most in the Premier League. His fellow Spaniard Santi Cazorla finished below him with just eleven. I’d also like to mention Eden Hazard, whose evolution into a superstar and deserved wearer of Chelsea Football Club’s number ten shirt furthered the club’s domination as a whole. These men were crucial to Chelsea’s success-filled 2015. Were they the milk/jumping lessons that Jose said his horse needed in order to race with the big ones? I think so.
Martin Tyler, who needs no introduction, summed up the Blues’ season brilliantly. Via the Chelsea FC website, he has this to say: “It was Chelsea’s season just as Jose Mourinho promised it would be but even he must have been surprised by the extent of the Blues’ domination.
Yet for those of you who were at Burnley for the opening game, as I was, the signs were crystal clear,
That opening night won rave reviews, particularly for the new members of the cast.
Diego Costa quickly delivered a debut goal. Cesc Fabregas superbly created a second in a move with Andre Schurrle which left a memory which would last the rest of the season and beyond. Thibaut Courtois radiated the quality essential for any goalkeeper who was challenging to replace Petr Cech.
Mourinho knew his best team and stuck by it. The eventual awarding of six of the 10 outfield places in the PFA All Star XI was a huge tribute to Chelsea’s strength. Eden Hazard scooped up every individual prize going for his X Factor contribution. John Terry after many landmarks in his towering career was rightly proud of a new milestone, playing an entire Premier League campaign for the first time, and this in a campaign which saw him pass his 34th birthday. You could not begrudge him a little dig at those who had written him off.” Have that, Rafa.
This is a tribute to Jose Mourinho, the best manager in world football. Why am I so confident in this statement? The man is a genius. The man who is criticised the most by Chelsea and rival fans alike also wins the most.
The year after our Champions League triumph was a disappointment. Jose’s return was trophyless, underwhelming, and overhyped. But he was starting a project. A long term project at the club he loves, with nothing but silverware in mind. I had high hopes two seasons ago. I thought we’d win the title in Mourinho’s first year back. When we slipped up and finished empty handed, I remembered those words… “a horse that next season… *wink* … we can race”.
Fast-forward to now. Our time has come. We’re the one laughing with the league title in our hands. Let’s bask in the glory, we are champions! But, it’s impossible to avoid the thought that the best from Jose Mourinho and Chelsea is yet to come…
