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London's head coach Jose Mourinho stated that their opponents in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 "deserve respect".
In 2004, J. Mourinho led Porto to victory in the UEFA Champions League final, defeating Monaco, but the Portuguese then moved to Chelsea in London that same summer.
"Porto has experience in European football," said the extravagant coach. "They lack no ambitions and they deserve respect, which they will definitely receive from us. Do we want to advance to the quarterfinals? Of course. Do we believe in our abilities? One hundred percent. However, I repeat, this can only be done by Chelsea playing their best game."
This will be the second time J. Mourinho will have to play against his former team. In the 2004-05 season, both clubs were in the same UEFA Champions League group. The first match at Stamford Bridge was won by the English team, but the Portuguese superclub got revenge at home, securing a 2-1 victory and moving on to the next stage.
Back then, J. Mourinho faced such a hostile reception at the Dragao stadium that his assistant Steve Clarke attended the pre-match press conference.
However, Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira did not want to heat up the atmosphere about his future Champions League opponents: "They are a very strong team, wanting to win the cup. Meanwhile, we have two months to improve our game. We are very pleased that we can play against them, but it will be difficult."
The first encounter between these teams will take place in Portugal on February 21, a Wednesday, while the second leg at Stamford Bridge will be played after two weeks on March 6, a Tuesday.
