'The feeling is...' - Jose Mourinho delivers Chelsea verdict on Boehly-Clearlake & Maresca | OneFootball

Jose Mourinho has issued his verdict on the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership and the direction Chelsea are now heading in under head coach Enzo Maresca.

The Portuguese returns to Stamford Bridge for Tuesday's Champions League clash against Chelsea having recently taken over at Benfica following the departure of Bruno Lage earlier this month.

Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles with Chelsea over two separate stints, is held in high regard after joining the club back in 2004 under previous owner Roman Abramovich, who helped the Blues become a force to be reckoned with in both England and Europe.

Since May 2022 when Abramovich was forced to sell the club, with the Boehly-Clearlake consortium winning the race to buy Chelsea, the model has changed.

Chelsea are no longer a club who are splashing the cash on the best players at the time, buying proven talents. Instead, Boehly and Clearlake have adopted a model of buying younger, full of potential talent on long-term contracts with a view to keeping a squad together for a longer period of time, and hoping it pays off.

Boehly (left) and Eghbali (right) have, and continue to be, scrutinised over the current model at Chelsea. | IMAGO / Sportimage

After a challenging couple of years under several different managers, including Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, interim Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea have now settled on Enzo Maresca, who arrived from Leicester City.

In his first year in charge, despite a blip mid-way through the season, Maresca guided Chelsea to the Conference League and Club World Cup, propelling the club to World Champions.

It has given Maresca credit in the bank, although Chelsea have endured a difficult start to the campaign, including back-to-back Premier League defeats to Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Maresca has brought back the trophies to Stamford Bridge, a similar story to previous managers like Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri and Thomas Tuchel.

Maresca carrying the Conference League and Club World Cup onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge back in August 2025. | IMAGO / Domenic Aquilina

The jury is still out over whether the Blues' model will be a success long-term. Mourinho has had, and still does, his reservations, but he believes Chelsea are 'back on track' after their Club World Cup triumph in the United States.

"Honestly, I don't know the model," Mourinho admitted to reporters on Monday during his pre-match press conference. "There was a set period when even myself, from the outside in, cast some question marks over it because it looked like Chelsea had lost their identity as a club.

"But what happened in the last season got things back on track. They gave trust to Enzo Maresca and he brought his ideas. He's fitted in well with the philosophy.

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

"As for the Club World Cup, I have always said the Champions League is more important but take nothing away (from this win). That (gold) badge means a lot. It's the first time a club has won (the expanded) Club World Cup. Congratulations to them.

Mourinho, who Chelsea have photos of on their walls, speaking at Stamford Bridge. | IMAGO / Sebastian Frej

"Winning these trophies gives everyone a base of trust and confidence, even at supporter level. I feel it. I live five minutes away and my son comes every weekend to the stadium. And the feeling is completely different after the Club World Cup. It was a period of disappointment and doubt, but now it's one of optimism. I think Chelsea is back on track."

Chelsea will, of course, be focused on the future - but the past can never be forgotten. Mourinho was a central part of that history, and now, they have his seal of approval.

The winning formula has returned to west London, bringing with it a sense of familiarity. Mourinho’s heart still belongs to Chelsea - it always will. But for 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge, when Benfica come to town, that connection will be put on pause.