Mourinho up against Di Matteo
Jose Mourinho comes up against the only coach to have steered Chelsea to the Champions League title when the Blues travel to Roberto Di Matteo's Schalke 04 on Tuesday.
Victory will confirm Chelsea's place in the Champions League's knock-out phase, but the focus will be on Mourinho's opposite number on the Schalke bench.
Chelsea coach Mourinho, the self-styled 'Special One', won the Champions League title as Inter Milan coach in 2010 and Porto boss in 2004, but the European crown has so far eluded him in his two stints at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea face Schalke in Gelsenkirchen as Group G leaders, three points clear of their second-placed German hosts, but the Premier League side have a much better goal difference.
Di Matteo has won all four of his home matches since taking charge of Schalke last month and is in his first role since being sacked by Chelsea in November 2012, just six months after winning the Champions League title.
Mourinho clearly did not like to be reminded that he will be up against the only coach to bring the Champions League to Stamford Bridge and insisted it is Chelsea against Schalke, not him against Di Matteo.
"I don't play against him," said Mourinho dryly.
"If I play against him, he wins because he plays better than me. Unless I am fitter, which I don't know, but normally he wins because he is much better than me.
"It is Chelsea against Schalke, it is not me against Di Matteo."
Comments