José Mourinho hasn’t changed a bit. Nearly 20 years after his first Chelsea stint, the Benfica coach is still as confident as ever. 

Before the Portuguese Cup tie against Chaves, he delivered another trademark press conference, mixing calm analysis with the kind of confidence only he can pull off. As relayed by A Bola, he defended his team’s form and reminded everyone that “we were never dominated”.

He said the team are creating enough chances to win matches against elite opposition, even if the goals didn’t come. “We didn’t score, but we could have. Maybe not 20 chances, but enough to win… or at least to draw against Chelsea,” he said.

Then came the familiar bravado. “People can say what they want. I have 1,200 games on the bench. Being criticised by someone who’s never spent a single minute there isn’t dramatic. My idea prevails”, he added.

He continued to explain that organisation doesn’t mean weakness. “It’s one thing to play defensively and get dominated. It’s another to be organised and never get dominated. And we were never dominated. Not by Chelsea, not by Porto.”

He dismissed talk of crisis, reminding everyone...