The most familiar stranger: Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge with the eternal soul of the Blue Army

The lights are focused on the press room at Stamford Bridge, and José Mourinho sits slowly. His eyes swept around inadvertently—on the wall on the right is a classic photo of him holding three fingers, and on the left is his heroic posture of holding the second Premier League trophy. "Three of the five photos in this big room are mine." He smiled slightly, and a trace of complex emotions flashed in his eyes.

"I feel like I'm going home here." He paused, his voice with some indescribable tenderness, "But I'm no longer a member of the Blues...I'm a member of Benfica now, and I'm eager to win."

At this moment, time seemed to flow back. The man who was once called "the special one" here is now back as an opponent. His legend is carved in every corner of Stamford Bridge, but tomorrow's game, he will sit in the visiting team's coach's bench.

"I will always be a 'Blue Army'." Mourinho's words echoed at the venue, which was his most affectionate confession to Chelsea. "I am part of their history, and they are also part of my history. I helped them become a stronger Chelsea, and they also helped me become a stronger José."

His words remind people of those glorious years - in 2004, he first entered England, led Chelsea to break the monopoly of Manchester United and Arsenal, and won two Premier League titles in two years; in 2014, he returned for the second time and brought the Premier League trophy back to Stamford Bridge again. That "happy marriage" made each other's best time.

In the face of Chelsea coach Maresca's tribute - "He wrote history here", Mourinho responded with professional respect, but when talking about the current situation of the Blues, his evaluation was in-depth: "Even from the outside, I myself was puzzled by Chelsea's identity as a club, but last season brought everything back on track."

He specifically mentioned Enzo Fernandez: "They trust Enzo, he brought his own ideas, and it also fits the club's philosophy." Behind this evaluation is the continuous attention and understanding of a person who once loved Chelsea deeply.

However, under the warmth, the sword has been unsheathed.

When asked whether he would accept a 0-0 draw, Mourinho showed a consistent winning mentality: "It depends on the game...but the game has not started yet, what we need now is to get points in this game." Mourinho, who always longs for victory, has never changed.

Statistics are cold and cruel: Mourinho has led the team to fight Chelsea 14 times, and has only won 4 games in regular time. He has not won any of the last seven encounters with the Blues. The bond between historical data and emotions intertwined into the most contradictory picture on this night.

"When you leave Portuguese football, you are the European champion." A reporter reminded him of his former glory. Now, he has led Benfica back to this stage that once belonged to him, facing this place he once called "home".

Speaking of the future, Mourinho's answer was both open and determined: "I don't have any career plan, I won't think about what might happen, what can't happen, what matters is that you have to give everything wherever you are. I'm in Benfica now, and I'm very, very happy."

But when he stared at the photos on the wall, who could believe that his heart was really unstable? The man who once celebrated passionately on the Stamford Bridge sideline, the coach who was thrown into the air by the players here, has now become the most familiar stranger.

Joe Cole compared him to Chelsea's Bill Shankley, and John Terry is always his "JT", and the players he calls "My Kids" still support him. These emotional bonds will never break due to the change in the color of the jersey.

Tomorrow's game, when Mourinho walks out of the Stamford Bridge player channel, what kind of applause and cheer will be greeted? Will Chelsea fans remember that it was this man who helped the Blues transform from a strong team to a "victory machine"?

"We have had periods without trophies in the past two or three years, but Chelsea won something before I came, and then we started to win, and my team continued to win..." Mourinho counted Chelsea's championship journey, as if recalling the story of his children's growth.

However, when the game begins, all the warmth will be temporarily sealed. He will strive for victory with all his might, because this is Mourinho - the team that is always loyal to his current situation and always longs for victory.

This is the most touching and cruel story in the football world: I have loved deeply, separated, and now I meet again on the court. Mourinho and Chelsea have made the best each other, but they are their own masters under the arrangement of fate.

It was late at night and the press conference ended. Mourinho stood up and left, glanced at the photos on the wall again. There is a freeze of his youth, Chelsea’s golden age, and a blue memory that never fades.

But tomorrow, he will fight for his team with Benfica's decisive heart. Because he is Mourinho - the one who will always be special.