Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has hailed José Mourinho as a “legend” ahead of the Portuguese coach’s return to Stamford Bridge, where he enjoyed two trophy-laden spells.

Mourinho, now in charge of Benfica, is back in the Champions League after five years away, with his first group-stage game set for Tuesday against Chelsea — a club where he remains a revered figure among fans.

At his pre-match press conference, held in a Stamford Bridge suite decorated with photos of Mourinho’s Premier League triumphs in 2005, 2006 and 2015, Maresca faced repeated questions about the man once known as the “Special One.”

“For me personally, he is a legend for this club,” Maresca said. “And from Italy, he is also a legend for Inter Milan where he won the Champions League, so he is a legend for different clubs around the world. That shows how good he is, how good he has been.”

Chelsea have lost three of their last four games in all competitions, adding pressure on Maresca despite his success in guiding the team to the Conference League and Club World Cup titles last season. He stressed those achievements while noting that four of the team’s five defeats in the past six months came after red cards.

Asked how he could gain similar popularity to Mourinho, Maresca replied: “Probably continue to win trophies. I remember last season when fans started to sing ‘we have our Chelsea back.’ That makes me happy already.”

Maresca also confirmed injury concerns over Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro, who are dealing with “small problems.” Mourinho was due to hold his press conference later Monday.