Something to shout about: Mourinho's "special" reputation was enhanced last night with victory over his former team, now managed by Ancelotti, at Stamford Bridge, where the Portuguese haas lost just twice So now Chelsea know what it is like to be Mourinhod. To face a team wound up to manic heights of intensity. To hit a brick wall of organisation. To face a manager in the opposing dugout who, even as Chelsea rushed to take a throw-in, refused point blank to give back the ball.
Welcome back, José. Egotistical, cynical and brilliant. A few Chelsea fans cursed his name as they faced up to defeat and exit from the Champions League last night but it was the bitterness of envy. They would have him back tomorrow.
José Mourinho himself had disappeared down the tunnel before the final whistle in one of those classic gestures when he claims to be staying out of the limelight but only draws more attention to himself.
As he sat in the away dressing room, he could reflect on a job superbly done. His bold selection of three strikers shaped the game to Inter Milans needs and in Wesley Sneijder rejected by Chelsea last summer just to increase Carlo Ancelottis agony Mourinho had the games outstanding player. There is no doubt which manager left with the plaudits; and it was that familiar figure in his overcoat, rushing out to give instructions to his players, to move them a couple of yards at a free kick, to harangue the fourth official. Mourinho was in the thick of things, as ever.
He had talked of dampening down any celebrations should Inter score out of lasting affection for Chelsea and there was only a little walk on to the pitch rather than the full knee-slide when Samuel Etoo scored the winner of last nights second leg of the round-of-16 tie but never was a man more intent on offering respect with one hand and a punch to the solar plexus with the other. It had all been sweetness before kick-off. As the players warmed up, Mourinho emerged with his own pen to sign autographs for Chelsea supporters. When they sang his name, he rose from his seat to give a polite wave to each end at Stamford Bridge.
But that was as long as the pleasantries lasted. Intense and combative, this was exactly the game you would expect from two teams shaped by Mourinho. And it was Inter who had the upper hand. Mourinho had wound up his players to a pitch of high fervour. They fought, they scrapped, they did what was necessary.
They had recognised that Didier Drogba was the greatest threat and they were in his face constantly. Never mind that the Ivory Coast striker was the player most closely associated with Mourinho at Stamford Bridge and cried on the day of the Portugueses sacking. The Inter coach had evidently instructed his defenders to bang into the Chelsea forward at headers, to barge him in tackles, even to rugby tackle him at corners. Walter Samuel wrestled him to the ground.
If the intention was to wind up Drogba never a hard task it worked perfectly. Even in the first half, Drogba seemed distracted. His red card was no surprise.
It was that sort of tough, sometimes niggly game, but Inter always had the brilliant Sneijder to add the dash of class. He is the player that Joe Cole dreamt of becoming; in the hole, pulling the strings.
Time and again he set up his team-mates; only to wave his arms in frustration when they missed. Eventually all Sneijders prompting had to lead to something and finally he was rewarded when he split the defence once again, playing the ball behind Branislav Ivanovic for Samuel Etoo to run through and score. Mourinho gave the air a little punch and he had more incentives for victory than he has stylish coats. Champions League success, or otherwise, will be the measure of his reign at San Siro and now he is a significant step closer.
To him, success in this tie would also help confirm Chelsea's foolhardiness in sacking him and strengthen the cult of Mourinho a phenomenon that has never taken hold in Italy like it did in England. It is why rumours persist of a return if Real Madrid do not get there first and while Mourinhos curriculum vitae needs no embellishment, knocking out Chelsea will do that "special" status no harm at all.
To that end, he can chalk up this tie as a huge success. If Inter had ridden their luck in the first leg when they were spared a blatant penalty, they shaped the game to their own desires for far longer than anyone could have expected last night. Ancelotti seemed helpless on the sidelines.
All the unexpected moves came from Chelsea, starting with the surprisingly attacking line-up of three strikers Etoo, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev with Sneijder behind. It wasn't quite a case of attack being the best form of defence Mourinho is far too measured and risk-averse for that but it did ensure that Chelsea always had to keep a very close watch throughout on their own back door.
They tried to keep that balance, but this was a game being orchestrated by the man on the opposing bench, who, as he loves to boast, does not lose at Stamford Bridge. They keep changing managers here but it is Josés home.
