Jose Mourinho is not only reuniting with Real Madrid, the club with which, beyond the titles, three in three years, he marked an era of profound reconstruction that was key to subsequent successes. He is also reuniting with one of his 'soldiers', Álvaro Arbeloa, in the master versus pupil showdown, with Benfica playing for all their options in the Champions League against the team with 15 European Cups, for whom a draw is enough for direct access to the round of 16.
It was a turbulent time in which Mourinho ended up generating a division, both inside and outside the white club. In the dressing room, there were players who found in the Portuguese coach a leader to always follow and defend at all costs. With Arbeloa, it caused an irreconcilable break with the Spanish national team, clashing with the Barcelona internationals. And also a distancing from great Madrid icons in his own dressing room.
Twelve and a half years later, the reunion takes place.
