"The whump of pitchside flames, the tinny theatre of the Uefa anthem, a craning of necks, a rising crackle of energy. And finally there he was out on the Stamford Bridge touchline, like some fond, long-lost figure emerging from the steam, suitcase in hand, while Jenny Agutter says Daddy, my daddy and rushes in for a hug. Except of course, this daddy is just as likely to jab her in the eye,"
"Jose Mourinho has been back to Chelsea many times. Why should this one matter more? Perhaps because he might not be back again. Perhaps because there is also very little else riding on these early Champions League mega-table games, a workaday 1-0 Chelsea victory here just another autumn footnote. Either way the whole occasion carried a little more pathos this time. Before kick-off on the Fulham Road the Jose scarves hung like ripe fruit, overseen by at least one very stern Jose cardboard cutout."
"In the event Mourinho was performatively coy at the start, emerging last from the tunnel, siting primly in his pitchside seat. No. Don't mind me. But he was up straight away as the game kicked off, looking slick and trim in a classic Crombie-length overcoat and open-neck tailored shirt, like a tech billionaire on his way to a court hearing."
Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge amid theatrical fanfare, with pitchside flames, the UEFA anthem and chants creating heightened atmosphere. He walked the touchline like a long-lost figure, greeted by adoring scarves and a stern cardboard cutout. The match carried little competitive weight, but the occasion held extra pathos because the return might be final. Mourinho adopted a coy, performative demeanor, emerging last from the tunnel and then standing immediately as the game began, dressed in a Crombie-length overcoat and open-neck shirt. The crowd oscillated between adulation and spectacle, treating Mourinho more as a portable celebrity event than a conventional coach.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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