Mourinho set to return to Stamford Bridge as Real Madrid face Shakhtar in Champions League

José Mourinho is set to return to Stamford Bridge on 8 September when he takes charge of Real Madrid against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League group stage — a fixture made possible by the Ukrainian club’s arrangement to use Chelsea’s ground as their temporary home venue this season.

Shakhtar have been unable to host European matches in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, staging ties in Poland and Germany in recent campaigns before reaching an agreement to play at Stamford Bridge in 2026/27. The arrangement was facilitated by Chelsea’s absence from European competition this season after failing to qualify for any continental tournament.

For Mourinho, the fixture represents a sentimental homecoming. The Portuguese manager returned to Real Madrid for a second stint at the Santiago Bernabéu this summer, but his legacy at Chelsea — where he won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and three League Cups across two spells — makes his presence on the SW6 touchline one of the most anticipated subplots of the early Champions League calendar.

Mourinho has spoken openly about his attachment to Chelsea and its supporters over the years. “When I am in London, I meet them every day on the street. I know that is going to be a relationship forever,” he has said. “They belong to my history and I belong to their history. I will always be a Blue.”

He famously introduced himself to English football at his 2004 Chelsea unveiling with the line that would define his public persona: “I think I am a Special One.” Two decades on, his return to the ground where that reputation was built — this time in the opposition dugout — is likely to overshadow much of the pre-match narrative surrounding the tie itself.