Jose Mourinho handed emotional return to Chelsea

11 April 2012

Chelsea will have to get past former manager Jose Mourinho to win the Champions League after they were drawn to play against Inter Milan in the last 16 at today's draw in Nyon.

It will be the first time Mourinho has returned to Stamford Bridge since he was sensationally fired in September 2007 after taking the club to two Premier League titles, as well as one
FA Cup and two Carling Cups in his three-year reign.

David Beckham is another who will be facing an emotional return after AC Milan, where he is on loan from LA Galaxy, were paired with Manchester United.

Mourinho is still revered by many Chelsea supporters for his achievements even though the closest he came to taking them to the Champions League trophy was reaching the semi-finals in 2005 and 2007.

He has since helped Inter win the Serie A title in his first season in charge and they are on course to do it again as they boast a five-point lead at the top of the table.

The first leg will be in Milan on 24 February before Mourinho takes his Inter side to south west London on March 16. Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said: "I'm sure Jose will get a fabulous reaction from our fans, but he is the opposition and we will be looking to go through.

Milan will be prepared but we have an experienced manager in Carlo Ancelotti, who won it twice as a player and a coach. We will be ready."

It was the side Ancelotti wanted to avoid most of all as he had already admitted the Italian club were the best team to finish runners-up in the group stages.

This match could lead to an exchange of words between the two managers for the duo had a frosty relationship last season while Ancelotti was still in charge of AC Milan.

The latter mocked Mourinho earlier this year after he compared himself to Jesus by saying: "If Mourinho is Jesus, I am certainly not one of his apostles."

Chelsea's former manager hit back a few months later by insisting the Italian was "no friend of mine".

It will be the first time Chelsea have played Inter Milan in a competitive fixture in their history, although they did beat Mourinho's side 2-0 in a pre-season friendly in American tour five months ago.

Mourinho will be under intense pressure to knock his former club out of the tournament for he was brought to the San Siro to win Europe's premier club competition and he failed at the first attempt last season when they were beaten by United in the first knockout stage.

He is already under intense scrutiny after having several bust-ups with opposition coaches and the media and was accused of striking a journalist at the weekend.

Arsenal were handed a much more comfortable route to the quarter-finals after being paired with Porto for the third time in the past four seasons, although it is the first occasion they have met in a two-legged tie.

They have played each other in the group stages prior to this and Arsene Wenger's side have only lost one of the four matches.

United legend Beckham is joining AC Milan on loan from LA Galaxy in January.

Beckham left United for Real Madrid six years ago having won six titles and the Champions League during his 14-year career at the club.

This will be the first time he has played against them since he was sold to Madrid for £25m.

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