Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday as Benfica manager, receiving a warm welcome from Chelsea fans but leaving without a win as his team fell 1-0 to the English club.

Mourinho, once known as the “Special One,” took charge of his first Champions League match in five years. Despite his current reputation being less dominant, he remains highly respected in southwest London. Chelsea supporters greeted him with chants of “Jose Mourinho” as he emerged from the tunnel, prompting him to wave and blow a kiss.

During the game, Mourinho also intervened to urge Benfica fans to stop throwing objects at Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who had transferred from Benfica to Chelsea in February 2023 for a British-record fee of £106.7 million ($131.4 million). Later, he even jogged onto the field to remove a stray ball, drawing applause from the home crowd.

“When I am in London, I meet them every day on the street,” Mourinho said. “I know this relationship will last forever. Hopefully, I come back here in 20 years with my grandkids. They belong to my history and I belong to theirs.”

After the final whistle, Mourinho hugged Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca but quickly left the pitch, clearly disappointed by the loss. “With me, it’s never enough. If I am in the job, it’s because I like to put myself on the line every day. I am desperate to win the next match, that’s my nature,” he said.

Mourinho, who recently became Benfica’s coach after leaving Fenerbahce in Turkey, has returned to the Champions League, a competition he previously won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.