The return of 'The Special one' !

2004.

Chelsea had just parted company with Ranieri and signed Jose Mourinho , the champions league winning manager of Porto. An unknown figure for the English press, the first words in the press conference by Jose were these -" Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.”  He has lived up to his words since then,with his achievements, ofcourse with a touch of his trademark arrogance. He took control of a club which had not won the Premier league in 50 years, and won back to back Premier League titles in 2004 and 2005, FA cup in 2006-07 and Two league cups.

He didnt build just a team in Chelsea, he built a family. Mourinho was a father figure to everyone and even 2 years after his departure from Chelsea, players like Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Cole consult him regularly.He built a team with character who simply hated to lose and for 2 years dominated the premier league such that the race was over half way thru the season.
He has this incredible record of NOT losing even a single league game at home during his four and half years reign, which can never be matched by anyone !
Just the fact that - Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in English football, played 11 matches against Jose and won only 1 (yes, only ONE !) speaks about Jose Mourinho.

As every fairytale has its end, Jose's reign too was slowly coming towards an end. Jose, a man with big egos was growing more and more agitated by the interference in club matters by the Chelsea owner Roman Abrahamovich and eventually Jose got booted out of Chelsea on 20th Sept 2007, well he liked to call it 'leaving Chelsea by mutual consent'.

March 16,2010.
Jose is returning to Stamford Bridge to play against Chelsea with his team,the Italian Champions - Inter Milan. It will be deja vu for Mourinho, entering the Stamford bridge , amidst the cheers of the Chelsea fans, only this time,as the opposition manager, playing against the same players who he nurtured and developed into champions. He already has a 2-1 advantage from the first leg which should make his job easier, only if he doesnt get carried away by the occassion. Anyway, he certainly knows how to keep emotions in check and win games, he is 'The Special one' !