Jose Mourinho believes his former club Chelsea have left a "period of disappointment" and are "back on track" under coach Enzo Maresca.

The Portuguese manager, now in charge of Benfica , returns to Stamford Bridge for Tuesday's Champions League group game.

Under Maresca, Chelsea won the Conference League in his first season in charge and then lifted the Club World Cup this summer after upsetting Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

"From the outside, it looked like Chelsea [had] lost the identity as a club," Mourinho, 62, said in a news conference back at Stamford Bridge on Monday. "But what happened last season, it seems they are back on track. They gave trust to Enzo, he brought his ideas.

"The Conference League is an easy competition to win for a big

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