José Mourinho, the Real Madrid coach, said last night that he would relish the chance to face Chelsea — a team he still “loves” — in the Champions League, but admitted that he would rather not meet his former team until the final.
The Portuguese’s old club joined his new side in the last eight of the competition thanks to goals from players widely held to remain loyal to their erstwhile manager: Didier Drogba, John Terry and Frank Lampard — as well as Branislav Ivanovic — scored to dump Napoli out of the tournament in a 4-1 win at Stamford Bridge. Real eased past CSKA Moscow by the same scoreline in Madrid.
Mourinho has been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge this summer, as Roman Abramovich looks for a long-term replacement for André Villas-Boas, and his admission of affection for his former club will no doubt be interpreted as a further indication of his willingness to return.
“I would love them in the final,” Mourinho said. “People can’t understand how much I love Inter Milan, and Chelsea, how much I love the boys and how much I wish them [well]. I know if I get Chelsea, they will be great opponents. They have impressive character. They had a hard time, but now happiness is coming.”
Mourinho’s former charges, though, have set their sights rather lower, with Lampard, conscious of how close they came to being knocked out of the competition after their defeat in Naples, in particular refusing to look beyond the quarter-finals.
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“It’s an absolutely huge win for us,” he said. “It was crucial that whatever the result, we produced a performance to stay in the competition. We can really build on this now and hopefully move onwards and upwards.
“We’re just happy to be in the hat. If we play with that ability and desire, we can take on anybody.
“It was important we showed a desire and spirit to keep ourselves in the competition.
“It’s been a difficult season, but a performance like that tonight can change things for us, so it’s important we go on from here.”