The days when José Mourinho would arrive in town with more to offer than touchline showmanship have long passed. The 62-year-old’s time at the top of the coaching tree belongs to a different era and, for all the nostalgia about Mourinho’s trophy-laden spells at Chelsea before this game, the main takeaway from his return to Stamford Bridge is that this is a manager who no longer gets job offers from Europe’s biggest teams.
The buildup was more entertaining than the actual football. Chelsea, carrying injuries and a long way below their best, were comfortable against Mourinho’s tepid Benfica. They dug out a 1-0 win, a messy own goal the difference on a night that did not feel like a good advert for the extended Champions League, and for 95 minutes the job was done so efficiently it almost could have passed as a tribute to Mourinho’s pomp.
Written by Jacob Steinberg at Stamford Bridge
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/sep/30/chelsea-benfica-champions-league-match-report under the title “No happy Chelsea return for José Mourinho as own goal sinks Benfica”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
