Jose Mourinho shares brutally honest Chelsea verdict ahead of Champions League reunion

Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has assessed his old club ahead of their Champions League clash. The Blues are set to face Benfica in their league phase encounter on Tuesday evening at Stamford Bridge.

The fixture will offer Mourinho his first chance to return to his former club since taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur in 2021. Mourinho had two successful stints as Chelsea boss under previous owner Roman Abramovich, and was most recently at the helm of Fenerbahce before departing last month.

The 62-year-old has now been named Benfica's new manager, returning to the club where he first cut his teeth in management over two decades ago. With Chelsea and Mourinho set for their showdown this week, the ex-Blues manager has offered his thoughts on the club's current state under new ownership duo Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly.

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"Chelsea. [Roman] Abramovich's Chelsea, my Chelsea, the Chelsea we built and lasted for many years was a winning club," Mourinho told reporters over the weekend. "It was winning everything with me and then with [Carlo] Ancelotti, with [Antonio] Conte and with [Thomas] Tuchel. Chelsea was a winning machine. Every season, Chelsea was winning.

"Then there was a big change with crazy investment and a period of a few years where it looked like they lost direction - with too many players, too many millions, accumulation of players and a team without a clear philosophy. For a couple of years, it was hard. For one that loves the club, it was hard."

Mourinho then heaped praise on Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca's efforts, especially in steering the club to glory in the Conference League last season and the FIFA Club World Cup over the summer. "[Enzo] Maresca arrived and step by step, the puzzle was made. Even the Conference League is a fantastic competition for a team like that to win," Mourinho added.

"It gives you that first cup and the philosophy and the culture of the club for winning. If you cannot win the Premier League you win something, so they won the Conference League.

"Then they go to the[United] States and come back with the big badge on the chest [Club World Cup] so now they have a good, good team."

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