Mourinho backs Maresca and says Chelsea are ‘back on track’ ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho praised the job Enzo Maresca has done at Chelsea, insisting the Blues are “back on track” after a difficult couple of years.

Mourinho, who had two separate spells in charge of Chelsea and won three Premier League titles with the club, returns to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night with his new Benfica side.

And the Portuguese boss was full of praise for his counterpart Maresca, saying he believes he has helped steer the club back towards success. “Honestly I don’t know the model because I never studied the model,” Mourinho said when asked about his thoughts on the way Chelsea operate as a club.

“There was a set period where even myself from the outside, I was putting some question marks because it looked like Chelsea lost their identity as a club.

“But what happened in the last season puts things back on track.

“I think they have trust in Enzo. He brought his ideas, he fitted well with the philosophy they want to give to the club.

“The Conference League is an easy competition to win for a big club. I did it with Roma. It’s quite an easy competition to win for a big club.

“And then the Club World Cup. People can say, I also say, that the Champions League is much more important but that badge means a lot. It is the first time a club wins the Club World Cup so congratulations to them and I think that gives them a base of trust, a base of confidence, even at the supporters’ level.

“I feel it. I lived five minutes away from here. My son comes to the stadium almost every weekend. We know the Chelsea population and the feeling is completely different.

“It was a period of disappointment, a period of doubt, but this moment is a period of happiness, a period of trust. So I think Chelsea are back on track.”

Ahead of the game, Mourinho also spoke of his affinity for Chelsea and says the club will always hold a place in his heart.

“Of course I will always be a blue,” he said. “I’m part of their history and they are part of mine. I helped them to become bigger Chelsea and they helped me to become a bigger Jose.

“When I say I’m not a blue, I’m talking about the job I have to do tomorrow.”