Jose Mourinho takes aim at 'crazy' Chelsea transfer strategy

Cameron Smith

28 Sep 2025 17:00 CDT
3 min read

Ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has taken aim at his former club for their transfer strategy under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

The Blues have spent well over €1.5 billion on new signings since the departure of Roman Abramovich in 2022, but they have prioritised adding talented youngsters rather than established stars over the past three years.

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Despite their triumph at the Club World Cup in July, Chelsea are yet to challenge for the Premier League title during the BlueCo regime and Mourinho has admitted that it was “hard” to watch the club struggle before Maresca’s appointment last year.

The 62-year-old, who won eight trophies across two spells as Chelsea boss, will return to Stamford Bridge when his Benfica side face the Blues on Tuesday night and he took aim at his former club’s transfer policy during a pre-match press conference.

What has Jose Mourinho said?

“Chelsea. [Roman] Abramovich’s Chelsea, my Chelsea, the Chelsea we built and lasted for many years was a winning club,” Mourinho told reporters ahead of his return to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday (as per The Daily Mail).

“It was winning everything with me and then with [Carlo] Ancelotti, with [Antonio] Conte and with [Thomas] Tuchel. Chelsea was a winning machine. Every season, Chelsea was winning.

© IMAGO - Jose Mourinho was appointed as the new Benfica in early September

“Then there was a big change with crazy investment and a period of a few years where it looked like they lost direction - with too many players, too many millions, accumulation of players and a team without a clear philosophy. For a couple of years, it was hard. For one that loves the club, it was hard,” Mourinho admitted.

“Maresca arrived and step by step, the puzzle was made. Even the Conference League is a fantastic competition for a team like that to win. It gives you that first cup and the philosophy and the culture of the club for winning.

“If you cannot win the Premier League you win something, so they won the Conference League. Then they go to the States and come back with the big badge on the chest so now they have a good, good team.”

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