However much Jose Mourinho is paid by Chelsea, he deserves it. Whatever salary Laurent Blanc gets from Paris St Germain’s Qatari owners, he should hand this week’s back.
Seldom can the relative qualities of the managers have been as starkly exposed in a big European match. Blanc, having said he wanted to build on a 3-1 lead, watched blankly as it was eroded by a team exuding all the belief PSG lacked.
It was fitting that the goals came from men Mourinho had left out of the starting line-up. People talk about the Chelsea manager’s dark side. Indeed a book about it emerged from Madrid recently. But the autobiography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic testifies to how Mourinho can inspire something akin to family loyalty.
Patrick Vieira, whom Mourinho often had to overlook at Inter because he was ageing, has spoken about it, too. And Demba Ba illustrated it against PSG. Rather than come off the bench sulky, the oft-ignored striker from Paris scored the goal that eliminated his favourite club from the Champions League.
So the Premier League flag still flies in Europe. Don’t rule out the possibility of Manchester United surviving in Munich tonight either. But I make Chelsea almost favourites to retrieve the European title, even if Bayern march on; if they could seize it under Roberto di Matteo, they can certainly do so now, with such a talismanic leader.
Let’s see what the draw brings on Friday. Barcelona? According to Mourinho, the worst for years — if they get past Atletico Madrid tonight. Real Madrid? They, who replaced him with Carlo Ancelotti, came within a post’s width of losing a three-goal lead in Dortmund last night.
Disappointing though PSG were, no one will relish meeting Chelsea and Mourinho. He wants to become the first manager to win the Champions League with three clubs. Whatever he says, he wants another domestic title, too. Apart from that, his season is dead.
