Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti insists Jose Mourinho is not the key figure in Tuesday's Champions League match against Inter Milan despite all the attention focused upon the former Blues manager.
Mourinho will bring another team to Stamford Bridge for the first time since his acrimonious departure from the Premier League club in 2007 and is certain to be greeted warmly by fans grateful for his central role in turning their side into title contenders.
But Ancelotti, who clashed with the Portuguese when the pair led Milan's rival teams, said Monday it is the players who will take center stage when Chelsea tries to overturn a 2-1 deficit and reach the quarterfinals.
"Jose has great experience because he's won the Champions League and titles in other countries," Ancelotti said. "But I don't think this will be the difference.
"The difference will be the different players or the different confidence or different courage or different personality that the team puts on the pitch."
Mourinho said he still feels right at home at a club that has not won the Premier League since he left.
"I opened the door and I walked through the door," Mourinho said at Stamford Bridge on Monday. "I go up to the second floor, there are people I know. I go up to the third floor, there are more people I know. But I repeat: for 90 minutes I know nobody.
"Before the game, I know everybody and I love them. After the game, I know everybody and I love them."
Mourinho's influence is still strong at the club.
Striker Nicolas Anelka and defender Branislav Ivanovic are the only first-team regulars not signed by Mourinho, while third-choice goalkeeper Ross Turnbull will play because of injuries to Petr Cech and Hilario.
"Some people came to see me," Mourinho said. "The players did not come because they are working, they are at a hotel or something."
Florent Malouda, who joined shortly before Mourinho left in September 2007, said players including Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba would have no problem knocking out their old boss.
"It is more important for the fans than us," Malouda said. "As players, we just want to beat Inter and as he is the Inter coach we want to beat him too.
"It'll be an emotional game for him too, but for us, you could see in the first game it was not disturbing for the players he signed at Chelsea."
A 1-0 win would be enough to put Chelsea through to the next round, so Malouda said Chelsea can take its time looking for an opening and avoid leaving space for Inter to attack.
"I don't think we need an early goal," Malouda said. "We only need one goal so we need to play with patience against Inter."
Chelsea has not failed to score in 15 matches since Dec. 26 and is up against an Inter side reeling from its third and most shocking Serie A loss of the season.
Sicilian club Catania, coached by former Inter player and assistant coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, overturned a 1-0 deficit to beat Inter 3-1 on Friday with three late goals.
Inter drew 0-0 with Genoa in its previous Serie A game
"Evidently it's a period in which we're having a tough time finding the necessary focus," Inter technical director Marco Branca said. "Evidently we're not the same team from a month ago, but we know well how to bounce back.
"This 3-1 loss to Catania shouldn't make us worried. Actually, it should provide extra motivation for the Chelsea game."
Mourinho will be free to sit on the bench after completing a three-game ban in Serie A.
Inter captain Javier Zanetti looks set to play in midfield, where the out-of-form Dejan Stankovic could be replaced by Thiago Motta.
Wesley Sneijder sat out training Sunday with a cold but should be ready to start in attack, just behind Diego Milito and Samuel Eto'o - who is almost sure to play after Mourinho left forward Mario Balotelli back in Milan.
