Mourinho Returns to Champions Action

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Last May the Santiago Bernabeu stadium hosted the UEFA Champions League final which saw Jose Mourinho secure the third title of the season for the Inter Milan trophy cabinet when the Italian side deprived Bayern Munich President, Franz Beckenbauer, of taking the title back to Germany. 

This Wednesday night a new Champions League season kicks off with the “Special One” back at the same stadium but this time in charge of Real Madrid, with whom he will be seeking his third Champions league Title – having won his first with Porto FC in 2004.

The Champions League has eluded Real Madrid in recent years with their only win in the 21st century back in Hampden Park in 2002. Since then there have been some promising campaigns, much money spent, lots of upheaval but not the major European trophy in their side board.

Mourinho’s sole purpose in being lured to Madrid by Club President, Florentino Perez, is to change that record and bring the same glory that the Portuguese supremo has brought to Porto, Chelsea and Milan. 

In Real Madrid's first meeting of the qualifying group they face another legendary European Club, Ajax, which brings Mourinho face to face once again with a rival from his Premiership days and seven London derbies between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – Martin Jol.

After rejecting an offer from Fulham earlier this season, Jol has guided Ajax through the qualifying stages and the club remains unbeaten after wins against PAOK FC and Dynamo Kyiv. They also arrive in Madrid with little form to guide them as 1995/96 was the last time both teams met in the Champions League.

Ajax did appear in the Bernabeu against AC Milan in 1969 losing the European Cup final when Cruyff and company were unable to contain the Italian side. But that history will not weigh too heavily this time as Ajax remain unbeaten away from home in Europe under Jol, who oversaw three wins and two draws as they reached the UEFA Europa League round of 32 last season 

For Real the start of the season has been positive with an away draw to Mallorca in the opening game, followed by a one nil victory at home against Osasuna last Saturday. Having started the change over in players Mourinho has seen the departure of Rafael Van de Vaart to Spurs, Raul Gonzalez to Schalke 04, Guti going to Besiktas in Turkey with Royston Drenthe on loan to Hercules in La Liga - with a few more earmarked for pastures new undoubtedly in due course.

Christoph Metzelder had already left in late June when his contract expired and Mourinho has already plundered the impressive German World Cup team bringing in the talented duo of Sami Khedira and Mehmet Oezil - along with his old sparring partner from Porto and Chelsea, Ricardo Carvalho. 

In the opening games Karim Benzema has made two appearances already which is an improvement from last season when he failed to figure in the former manager, Manuel Pelligrinni’s, game day plans.

Already the players know that times are different at the club, which goes beyond the visible departure of some of the clubs legends such as Raul. On Monday morning Mourinho changed the traditional post match recovery training to a full blown ball session – anxious that the players take the start of the Champions League seriously from the outset 

There is much expectation in Madrid about Wednesday night’s match as fans and club experts look on with anticipation to see if the “Mourinho Magic” can be applied at a club that has not tasted Champions League glory since the soft spoken and understated Vicente del Bosque was moved on in 2003 by Perez - in favour of former Manchester United Assistant Manager and recently fired Portugal manager, Carlos Queiroz.

Undoubtedly even Florentino Perez has nightmares about the wisdom of that decision which was made even worse following Spain's victory at the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg in July under Del Bosque.

This week all that will be forgotten as Mourinho and company embark on another journey that he hopes will bring winning ways back to Real Madrid that will at least match - and hopefully outdo – those achievements of arch rivals, Barcelona FC.

Real Madrid and Ajax are both in Group G along with AC Milan and FC Auxerre.