Mourinho remembers Inter-Chelsea 2010: revenge against Abramovich

For José Mourinho, the Champions League clash against Chelsea in 2010 represented much more than a match. It was the opportunity to settle the score with Roman Abramovich, after his dismissal in 2007 following the deterioration of relations with the former Blues owner.

When the Portuguese coach found himself facing his former team at the helm of Inter, the personal rivalry became the real driving force of the challenge. “Honestly, in that match I was playing against Roman,” Mourinho said in a new Netflix documentary about his career. “I wasn’t playing against Chelsea. I wasn’t playing against the boys. I was playing against him.”

The Special One described that game as a moment of personal revenge. “That match for me was wonderful. I was playing against a guy who had taken me out of the game. It was a pleasure. I go home happy and he is sad, because I know how much he loves Chelsea, I know how much he loves to win. But I needed revenge.”

Mourinho then broadened the discussion to a wider reflection on football. “Because football belongs to people like me. The others are the intruders who have nothing to do with it. Football belongs to the players, it belongs to the coaches, it belongs to the fans. Football will always belong to us.”