Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that he is still greeted warmly by Chelsea fans when he is not coming up against the Blues.
Mourinho was once a hero of the Chelsea supporters, having ended their 50-year wait for a title at the end of his first season in charge of the club before going on to add two more Premier League crowns in 2005-06 and 2014-15.
However, since taking over at United the Portuguese boss has endured a stormy relationship with the Stamford Bridge faithful, but he insists that is only the case when he is sitting in the opposition dugout.
"I walk down the street and outside the football heat, outside the football environment, I see so many Chelsea fans, especially in the area where I live. I see so many Chelsea supporters and I didn't have one single one that wasn't nice," he told reporters.
"What happened in the football stadium was a different thing. When I walk in the street in London, I am just a normal guy. When I go to Stamford Bridge and sit in that dugout, on the right side of the tunnel, I am the manager of their opponents, so I accept every possible reaction with the utmost respect."
Mourinho will once again return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday when Manchester United take on the champions in the Premier League.
Barney Corkhill
