With Manchester United coming to Chelsea today, the A block story was the return of manager Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho, who was sacked by Chelsea this past December and hired by United in May, received a very warm welcome by crown attending the match in West London. Welcome to the Jose Mourinho Cup.
John Terry and Jose Mourinho sharing a moment on the touchline ahead of today's game at Stamford Bridge. pic.twitter.com/5kcKvNIOy5
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) October 23, 2016
Mourinho first appeared about 30 minutes before kick-off, coming out to survey his team’s warmup and talk to his former assistant Steve Holland.
Many Chelsea members of staff and players greeted him, with the Portuguese sharing a big hug with his old captain John Terry.
Jose Mourinho: "I have to try to block out the emotions. I would lie if I said it's the same as playing against another team" #CHEMUN pic.twitter.com/kwipyDq9Yo
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 23, 2016
You got to love that quote by Mourinho- telling it like it is, instead of the usual bland coach speak. This is no ordinary game, and to say that it is not only dumbs down everyone in the room who hears such a quote, but disrespects the gravity of the contest.
#CHEMUN is the headline fixture this weekend, and should be treated as such. This edition brings some changes too, beyond just Mourinho. John Terry is on the bench and Wayne Rooney isn’t even involved in any capacity.
Very surreal to think about a Chelsea v Man Utd game with Terry a sub, Rooney not involved & Mourinho managing the away team #cfc #mufc
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) October 23, 2016
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.