JOSE MOURINHO still regards himself as Chelsea’s Special One.
The former Blues manager returns to the club where he won three Premier League titles on Tuesday night as Chelsea host Benfica in the Champions League.
When the Portuguese came back as Manchester United manager in 2017, some home fans dubbed him Judas — to which he simply replied: “Judas is still No 1.”
It appears nothing has changed in his mind ahead of this Champions League clash.
In Stamford Bridge’s Drake Suite, decorated with pictures of his title successes, Mourinho said: “Chelsea is a winning machine that had in the past two or three years, a moment without trophies.
“They won something before my time then my team kept winning and then a transformation of new teams, new coaches, more trophies.
“European trophies, the biggest one and the Champions League.
“I’m the biggest one until someone wins four.”
Chelsea’s last two trophies, the Conference League and Club World Cup, do not come close to matching Mourinho’s haul in West London.
Jose named himself “a special one” on his 2004 arrival from Porto, where he won the Champions League earlier that year.
He went on to scoop two Prem titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup before his 2007 exit.
In his second spell from 2013 to 2015 he added that third title and another League Cup.
And Mourinho, now 62, backs current Blues boss Enzo Maresca.
He said: “The Champions League is much more difficult to win than the Club World Cup, of course it is.
“Chelsea have the potential to do it. I don’t see any reason to say, ‘No, Chelsea can’t do it’.
“There was a period of disappointment. It was a period of doubt.
“But in this moment, it’s a period of happiness and trust, so Chelsea are back on track.”
I’m the biggest one until someone wins four.
Jose Mourinho
Benfica’s 3-2 home defeat to Azerbaijani minnows Qarabag in their league phase opener led to Bruno Lage’s axe and ultimately Mourinho’s return to the Lisbon club that started his managerial career.
Mourinho has only ever won once as the away manager at Stamford Bridge — 1-0 with Inter Milan in 2010, during a campaign that led to his other Champions League triumph.
But he will not feel too sentimental, adding: “I already played here with Tottenham, Manchester United and Inter Milan.
“In 90 minutes, I didn’t think where I was or who I was playing with.
“But like I say, I am not a blue any more… I am red and want to win.
“It’s not so deep to be back here as I live in London and am used to going past here every day.
“I have been back here with three different teams — Benfica is my fourth — so I will not feel any antagonism.”
On his connection with Chelsea, Mourinho added: “I will always be a blue. I’m part of their history, they’re part of my history.
“I helped them to become a bigger Chelsea and they helped me to become a bigger Jose.
“When I say I am not a blue, I hope everybody understands that I am speaking about the job that I have to do.
“In relation to these pictures, there are not many clubs that do this.
“Because in many clubs it looks like there is a fear of what happened in the past and there is a continuous transformation of pictures.
I am not a blue any more… I am red and want to win.
Jose Mourinho
“Sometimes it looks like they want to delete people that made history in the clubs.”
The Blues were this month charged by the FA with 74 alleged rule breaches relating to agents payments.
Mourinho’s third title at the club, in 2015, falls within the time period covered by the charges.
When Manchester City were charged with 130 rule breaches, Jose said his old United side should be made champions for finishing second to them in 2018.
Arsenal were second to his Chelsea in 2015 — but Mourinho ducked a question on whether the Blues should be sanctioned.
He said: “Not Man City? I have no idea about it, I have no idea what the charges are.”
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