Jose Mourinho said he was returning to Chelsea with the passion of a supporter after being appointed manager of the Premier League heavyweights for the second time on Monday.
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The 50-year-old Portuguese, who led the club to unprecedented success between 2004 and 2007, succeeds interim coach Rafael Benitez and has signed a four-year contract.
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His Stamford Bridge comeback was one of the worst-kept secrets in European football, with weeks of media speculation culminating in his admission on Spanish television late on Sunday that he had agreed to move back to west London.
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In an interview with Chelsea TV, the club's in-house television channel, Mourinho said his time at the club had left a deep impression that had endured throughout his subsequent tenures at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
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"It is exactly the same message, but now I can say I am one of you (supporters) and that makes a little bit of a difference," he said.
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"I never hide that in my career in football I had two great passions –Inter and Chelsea, and Chelsea is more than important for me.
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"It was very hard to play against Chelsea. I did it twice, which was not so bad. Now I promise exactly the same things I promised in 2004, but with the difference we have (now), which is I am one of you."
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He added: "It was an easy decision. I met the boss, I met the owner (Roman Abramovich), and in five minutes, after a couple of very short but pragmatic questions, we decided straight away."
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Announcing the news of Mourinho's reappointment, Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay heralded his "success, drive and ambition", and said he was the "outstanding candidate".
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It is almost six years since Mourinho left Chelsea, under something of a cloud, in September 2007, but he said he had no qualms about coming back.
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"It was a difficult moment because I love it here and have a big connection with the club. Also for the club, my departure, it was not easy," he said.
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"But if you analyse it in a cool way and you leave emotions a bit apart, I think it was fantastic.
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"Because after that I had in my career what I was aiming for and Chelsea as a football club got important trophies after that, with important moments in the history of the club.
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"Now we are back together and it is a great moment for both, so I think we are ready to marry again and to be happy and successful again."
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Mourinho arrives from Madrid, where an initially fruitful three-year spell ended in acrimony following an unsuccessful league title defence, a semifinal exit in the Champions League, and the alienation of senior players including goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Of course he has always been a lover of Chelsea FC. Jose Mourinho is the best coach they can ever have.