Former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, has recently expressed his disapproval of the club's spending habits. As he prepares to return to Stamford Bridge with his new team Benfica, he describes the financial decisions made by his former club as "crazy". This article delves into Mourinho's comments and the current state of affairs at Chelsea.
Mourinho is set to make a comeback at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. The Portuguese manager, who led Chelsea to three Premier League titles across two spells and won numerous other trophies with them, now heads Benfica. Both teams are seeking their first Champions League win after suffering defeats on match day one.
Criticism over Chelsea’s spending habits
Chelsea lost 3-1 against Bayern Munich in their opening game and is under pressure for a positive result following consecutive Premier League defeats. The Blues have significantly changed since Mourinho was manager; they have taken a completely different path since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over.
The club has heavily invested in its playing squad over recent years - a move that has drawn criticism from Mourinho ahead of his return. He described this spending spree as “crazy”, indicating that he believes the club may have lost its direction.
Former Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, said:
“Chelsea. Abramovich’s Chelsea, my Chelsea, the Chelsea we built and lasted for many years was a winning club. It was winning everything with me and then with (Carlo) Ancelotti, with (Antonio) Conte and with (Thomas) Tuchel. Chelsea was a winning machine, every season, Chelsea was winning.
“Then there was a big change with crazy investment and a period of a few years where it looked like they lost direction – with too many players, too many millions, accumulation of players and a team without a clear philosophy. For a couple of years, it was hard. For one that loves the club, it was hard.”
Upcoming challenges for Chelsea
After losing against Brighton, two crucial matches await Chelsea before the international break next week. They desperately need positive results from these games.
Mourinho’s return adds an extra layer of intrigue to the upcoming Benfica game; however, it is essential for the Blues not let this overshadow their performance on field. The current manager Maresca must find solutions quickly to improve how Chelsea plays while also addressing players' mistakes which are costing them games.
While there seems to be some discord regarding financial decisions made by management at Stamford Bridge, the immediate focus for Chelsea is to improve their performance on the field. Mourinho's return will undoubtedly add an extra layer of interest to the upcoming games, but it remains to be seen how this will impact Chelsea's performance and whether they can turn around their recent run of poor form.
