A more cautious Jose Mourinho transformed himself into "the Happy One" on Monday as he faced the media for the first time since he began his second spell as manager of Premier League giants Chelsea. Mourinho dazzled the British press when he first joined the club in 2004, earning himself the tag of "The Special One" after describing himself as a "special" manager in his introductory press conference.
Around 250 reporters, photographers and television cameramen squeezed into a suite at Stamford Bridge in west London to witness his return but the 50-year-old Portuguese was careful to adopt a more mellow tone. "Time flies," he said. "It looks like it was a couple of days ago, but it was nine years ago and since then lots of things have happened in my professional life.
"But I have the same nature. I'm the same person, I have the same heart. I have the same kind of emotions related to my passion for football and my job, but of course I am a different person. "If I have to choose a nickname for this period, I would choose 'the Happy One', because I'm very happy. It's the first time I arrive at a club where I already love the club." He added: "I want to be respected for what I did in the past, but I want to be loved for what I do from now."
Mourinho led Chelsea to back-to-back league titles during his first spell between 2004 and 2007, as well as two League Cups and one FA Cup, but left amid reports his relationship with club owner Roman Abramovich had soured. But he maintained that those reports were false, instead saying that he left "by mutual agreement", albeit with a heavy heart.
Mourinho went on to manage at Inter Milan, where he won the 2010 Champions League, and latterly at Real Madrid, before signing a four-year deal at Chelsea earlier this month. "It's only because there was no break-up of relations that I'm here today," he said. "If we had real problems, I wouldn't be here. "I think I'm back because we are in the best moments of our careers and ready to work together again. There are much better conditions at this time to succeed and have what the club wants, which is stability." John Terry, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech and Ashley Cole all remain at Chelsea from Mourinho's first spell in charge but he warned them that "they don't have an advantage in terms of the other people (in the squad)".