Chelsea ready for Mourinho reunion as Benfica visit in Champions League

VIDEO SHOWS: CHELSEA PRESS CONFERENCE RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT  SHOWS: STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UK (SEPTEMBER 29, 2025) (NICHE MEDIA – Access all) 1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENZO MARESCA, CHELSEA MANAGER, SAYING:     "The only thing I can say about Jose (Mourinho) is the thing that I just said, that for me personally, he's a legend for this club. I'm from Italy, he's also a legend for Inter (Milan), where he won the Champions League. So he's a legend for different clubs in the world, that shows how good he is, how good he has been and how good Jose is.      "Then in terms of what he deserves, to be honest I'm not here to think about what he deserves, I think he has already shown how important a manager has been and is." 2. WHITE FLASH 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENZO MARESCA, CHELSEA MANAGER, SAYING:     "We need to maintain our level for sure because the Champions League requires a high level. As you said, at this moment, we have unfortunately many players out for injury. This afternoon, we're going to assess (Moises) Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, as they are all players unfortunately for us with some small problems, so we will see if tomorrow they're going to be available. But we are, for sure in this moment we have injuries, but I think we have a squad enough in this moment also to try to replace the injuries we have."  4. WHITE FLASH 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENZO MARESCA, CHELSEA MANAGER, SAYING:     "After reviewing the last two games, you know, Man United and Brighton with 10 players, for sure, I could have done better probably in terms of decisions, no doubt. But also for me, it's like a learning process to play with 10 players because, I think for any manager it's not something normal." 6. WHITE FLASH 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENZO MARESCA, CHELSEA MANAGER, TALKING ABOUT THE CROWD CHANTING HIS NAME, SAYING:     "Probably continuing to win trophies. I remember for some moments of last season, I think it was Southampton away, where the fans were starting to sing 'We have our Chelsea back'. To be honest, it's not, I would like one day for sure, but it's not my target, you know. I'm already happy if they can sing 'We have our Chelsea back', because that means that as a team, as a club, we are doing something important." STORY: Chelsea will welcome Jose Mourinho back to Stamford Bridge when they face Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday (September 30), 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, he's a legend for this club. I'm from Italy, he's also 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 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 for sure because the Champions League requires a high level. As you said, at this moment, we have unfortunately many players out for injury," Maresca said.     "This afternoon, we're going to assess (Moises) Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Andrey Santos, as they are all players unfortunately for us with some small problems, so we will see if tomorrow they're going to be available. But we are, for sure in this moment we have injuries, but I think we have a squad enough in this moment also to try to replace the injuries we have."      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 two games, you know, Man United and Brighton with 10 players, for sure, I could have done better probably in terms of decisions," Maresca said.      "It's like a learning process to play with 10 players because, I think for any manager it's not something normal."     Asked what it would take for the home fans to chant his name like they do Mourinho's, Maresca added: "Probably continuing to win trophies. I remember for some moments of last season, I think it was Southampton away, where the fans were starting to sing 'We have our Chelsea back'."  (Production: Andy Ragg)

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