Peter Kenyon is backing Jose Mourinho to return to Chelsea this summer.
The Portuguese coach enjoyed a hugely successful three year stint at Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups before his controversial sacking in September 2007. He has gone on to win two Serie A titles and the UEFA Champions League with Internazionale, and a La Liga title with Real Madrid.
Mourinho is expected to quit the Bernabeu at the end of the season, and he has been strongly linked with a return to the Blues. And Kenyon, who was the chief executive of the London club during his previous spell in charge, believes it would be a great appointment.
“If I was at another club and looking for someone who would give me the maximum chance of winning, it’s Jose Mourinho,” he is quoted in The Sun. “You’ve got one of the best clubs, one of the best owners and one of the best coaches – it’s a hard combination to resist.
“I’d need some other very strong candidates to look elsewhere. Pep Guardiola would have been up there, but he’s not available. Malaga’s Manuel Pellegrini – you would definitely look at. But if I was looking at Pellegrini or Jose, Jose would win hands down.”
Mourinho has long flirted with the idea of a return to the Premier League, never more so than last week. After Real were dumped out of the Champions League by Borussia Dortmund, the 50-year-old revealed that he wanted to be “where people love me,” before adding: “I know I am loved in England. I am loved by some clubs, especially one.”
Should the Special One return to Chelsea, it looks increasingly likely they will be able to offer him Champions League football. A 1-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday puts them within touching distance of a top-four finish, which can be cemented with a win over capital rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
