Jose Mourinho admits he's in love with Manchester United ahead of Chelsea return

Posted Sunday, October 23, 2016 by Express.co.uk

Jose Mourinho admits he's in love with Manchester United ahead of Chelsea return
Jose Mourinho wants to win trophies with Manchester United

JOSE MOURINHO says he now has "101 per cent love" for Manchester United as he prepares to face former club Chelsea – but believes he will only feel the full passion of the Old Trafford fans in return if he can deliver trophies.

The whole world of football will be watching to assess the level of sentiment cascading around Stamford Bridge as Mourinho goes back to the ground where the supporters have adored him so much in the past.

Mourinho knows there is no escaping this spotlight, and his playful answers to questions about the occasion suggest he is relishing the attention.

"I don't know how Chelsea fans will think now I am at another English club, at Manchester United," says the superstar manager.

"One thing they can be sure of --- I am Man United 100 per cent. I want to win with Man United.

"I will always be respectful to them. That feeling wont' change, but I love every club that I work for.

"I have this professional heart that makes me connect 101 per cent with my clubs. Even in Portugal, I was not born a Porto supporter, but I gave my life for the club.

"I gave my life for Real Madrid. I gave my life for Inter. I gave my life for Chelsea. I give my life for Manchester United. That is my professional nature. I am 100 per cent United."

Mourinho has had a mixed start at Old Trafford, with his team lying seventh in the Premier League table after eight matches, a couple of points behind Chelsea.

The mood has improved in the past few days with a battling draw away to Liverpool and a strong victory against Fenerbahce, and the crowd are starting to be convinced.

"The connections start before titles," says Mourinho, "but it is success that makes the empathy and the connection become really strong and special.

"I have a three years contract and if I am here for those three years the people know that I give everything to the club, they know I am a professional working 24 hours day for United.

"But if at the end of three years I don't win one single piece of silverware for them, probably they will say ‘great guy, good coach, we like him, but we feel nothing special with the guy'.

"Chelsea have won four titles in their history --- three with me and one with the team I left. I took them to Wembley, I took them to Cardiff, and I took them to finals, so there is a connection based on empathy but based on success."

Jose Mourinho admits he's in love with Manchester United ahead of Chelsea return
Jose Mourinho won the Premier League three times at Chelsea

Mourinho is far from modest about his triumphs in two spells at Chelsea, even claiming credit for the title that Carlo Ancelotti won.

This afternoon he faces another Italian as the new boss at Chelsea in the passionate Antonio Conte.

He feigns uncertainty about their only previous meeting as mangers, saying: "I am not sure if I played against him in Italy. At Atalanta?"

Of course it was --- a 1-1 draw for his star-studded Inter team away to Conte's struggling side.

There is no history of rivalry or animosity here, though, and Mourinho adds: "I think in the Premier League you don't have bad managers. Even in the Championship and League one you have guys with lots of talent.

"I think the world of football now is full of good managers and the Premier League obviously has elite ones."

His greatest rivalry this season will be against Pep Guardiola at neighbours Manchester City, but Mourinho played down the scale of their meeting next week in the League Cup fourth round.

"It is the League Cup and, honestly, in the four competitions we are involved in, the League Cup is the less important one," says Mourinho.

"My approach to that match is secondary. We want to win against Manchester City and we want to win the League Cup. I have won the competition three times and I don't want to throw it away. But if you tell me my focus is on that match --- no."