Mourinho ready to put Porto affection to one side
Monday, September 28, 2015
Article summary
Chelsea boss José Mourinho admits that returning to Porto melts his heart, but he plans on turning it to stone ahead of their Group G meeting on Tuesday.
Article top media content
Article body
- Julen Lopetegui not fooled by Chelsea's indifferent domestic form
- Porto coach has great respect for "incredible" opposite number José Mourinho
- The Dragons have won all three of their home games this season
- Porto host Chelsea on the 122nd anniversary of their formation
- Mourinho led Porto to UEFA Champions League glory in 2004
Possible lineups
Porto: Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Maicon, Marcano, Layún; Rúben Neves, André André, Imbula; Corona, Aboubakar, Brahimi.
Out: André Silva (ankle)
Doubtful: Brahimi (knee)
Chelsea: Begović; Ivanović, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matić, Fàbregas; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Costa.
Out: Courtois (knee)
Julen Lopetegui, Porto coach
It would be great to celebrate the club's anniversary [Porto were formed on 28 September 1893] with a win against Chelsea. Their league position does not affect their matches in the Champions League – they won their first game 4-0. They are a great team with great potential and we need to play really well, to our limits, and be technically and tactically perfect.
I have great respect for Mourinho. He has been incredible in his career, very important to Porto because of his great achievements at domestic and European level. We are talking about a Chelsea team that has top players and a top coach. We are a team with a lot of hopes, ambitions and belief, but they will push us to our limits.
José Mourinho, Chelsea manager
I just visited the museum before coming to the presser. The museum is absolutely amazing and when you are lucky to be a part of it it's very emotional. You realise you did something important, it's fulfilling. It turned my heart a bit softer so now I will go back to the hotel and get back in the mood again.
To be untouchable you have to be consistent. At the moment we have fantastic players, the players that gave us the title last season, but football is about today and not yesterday. To be a winner you don't need to win all the time, but you need to have a strong mentality and at the moment I don't, so I'm not untouchable.
I was here two years and a half and we won everything. It was the club that opened the doors to my international career. Chelsea are not among the favourites to win the Champions League for various reasons. We consider ourselves favorites to pass the group stage and then we will reconfigure our goals.
Weekend results
Moreirense 2-2 Porto (Iuri Medeiros 50, Fontes 88; Maicon 18, Corona 79)
Porto twice surrendered a lead on Friday, but Sporting CP were held at Boavista on Saturday meaning the Dragons are still level at the top.
Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea (Ayoze Pérez 42, Wijnaldum 60; Ramires 79, Willian 86)
Chelsea scored twice in the last 11 minutes to avoid a defeat that would have left them within two points of the relegation zone.
Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Porto: DWDWWD
Chelsea: DWWWLL
Did you know?
José Mourinho is taking on the club he led to UEFA Champions League glory in 2004; find out more in our extensive match background.