Chelsea secured their first Premier League title 20 years ago under Jose Mourinho, marking the start of an incredible period of success.
The Blues won the league in a routine 2-0 win at Bolton Wanderers on 30 April 2005, with Frank Lampard scoring both goals in the second half.
The success vindicated manager Jose Mourinho, who famously described himself as ‘The Special One’ upon joining the club.
Robert Huth, who came on as a late substitute that day, has revealed exactly what it was that made Mourinho so special, having become the first manager to win the Premier League in his first season.
Robert Huth reveals Jose Mourinho was a ‘dad figure’
Speaking with BBC Radio 5 Live, the German defender explained why the players took an immediate liking to Mourinho.
He said: “He was a dad kind of figure – he’d treat you harshly if you made a mistake, but if you did well, he’d hug you and made sure you do it again.
“He had that aura about him where you knew you had to follow him.
“We had 25 players competing for a spot. The competition in the whole squad was unbelievable and every training session was like a fight.”
Huth, who went on to lift a further two Premier League titles with Chelsea and Leicester City, added: “When you have a manager like that, you just buy into it and love it.”
His comments come after a key cog in that title-winning side, Claude Makelele, described Mourinho as a father figure.
A man who knows just how hard it is to manage in the Premier League, Frank Lampard also spoke of how impressed he was with Mourinho from the first time they met.
Chelsea lost just one league match in the 2004/05 season, courtesy of a Nicholas Anelka penalty in a 1-0 loss to Manchester City.
They won 29 of their 38 matches and, with 95 points, held the record for most points won until Manchester City’s centurions side of the 2017/18 season.
It is clear Mourinho made an instant impact when joining Chelsea as the Blues ended their 50-year wait for a league triumph.
Where does Jose Mourinho rank among Chelsea’s best managers in the Premier League era?
Mourinho’s first title with Chelsea was immediately backed up with a second victory the following season, before Roman Abramovich and Mourinho’s relationship soured.
The Blues have gone on to lift the Premier League trophy three more times since then, in 2009/10 under Carlo Ancelotti, in 2013/14 when Mourinho returned and in the 2016/17 season under Antonio Conte.
| Record at Chelsea | Matches | Win % | League titles | Domestic Cup titles | European titles |
| Jose Mourinho | 321 | 64% | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Thomas Tuchel | 100 | 63% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Antonio Conte | 106 | 66% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Carlo Ancelotti | 109 | 63% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Roberto Di Matteo | 42 | 60% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The one thing Mourinho does not have to his name is a European title, something Thomas Tuchel and Roberto Di Matteo have with the Champions League.
Despite this though, you will struggle to find a Chelsea supporter who does not hold Mourinho as the best Chelsea manager of all time.
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