Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea: the experts' verdict - Telegraph.co.uk

Fashion guru

Luke Leitch
Deputy fashion editor, The Daily Telegraph

He says he's changed but when it comes to personal appearance Mourinho looks to be as uncompromisingly sharp as ever. Monday's dark, softly tailored suit worn over a subtly striped, loosely knotted gunmetal grey tie and top-unbuttoned blue shirt was a textbook Mourinho menswear ensemble. He has always preferred to wear top-tier semi-formal tailoring, ideally from big names bought in from Europe; Giorgio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Hugo Boss and Prada. Yet when he throws them together, it's with a particularly commanding unbuttoned disdain.

A new generation of sartorial Jose-alikes has filled the dapper void Mourinho left behind him six years ago. AVB, Roberto Martínez and even Brendan Rodgers have had a tilt at that lightly worn Mafiosi-manager look — and Roberto Mancini was a true maestro. Mourinho, though, effortlessly trumps them all – although it's thanks to the unerring stylist's eye of his wife Matilde, who controls his wardrobe. His fit with Chelsea seems perfect: London's brashest glamour club has got its proper manager back.

Brand expert

Mark Borkowski
PR and brand consultant

He's a sort of genius. You could see him keeping stuff back; it was pre-meditated to tease and titillate. He was probably only in second gear, but that's all he needs to be for now. He was fencing and playing with the media, and there were still some sharp answers.

I definitely think it is a case of Mourinho 2.0. He's learned a lot from being away; he's stepped back in and he's in control. He seems to have a natural ability to do what it takes to get the gossip mongers going, not just in newspapers but in social media. The noise he can generate pre-game could be worth about 12 to 15 points to Chelsea this season.

Whether he succeeds or fails it's going to be a great soap opera; the media world is a better place for the presence of Jose Mourinho. He's going to have a tougher time of it this time round because the media have worked him out. The second album is always the hardest.