Benfica boss Jose Mourinho thanked Chelsea fans for their warm reception on his return to Stamford Bridge, but admitted his frustration at losing on Tuesday.
"I don't feed myself with these memories, I feed myself with victories," Mourinho said after the match.
Richard Ríos' 18th-minute own goal was enough to give the Blues a 1-0 win in their Champions League clash on a night when Chelsea supporters serenaded Mourinho in each half in recognition of the eight trophies -- including three Premier League titles -- he won across two spells in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho won on his first visit back to west London in 2010 with Inter Milan, but has now lost on his subsequent seven visits. And after suffering his first Champions League defeat with Benfica -- having succeeded Bruno Lage earlier this month -- Mourinho was asked to reflect on how he was received by Chelsea supporters.
"I don't feed myself with these memories, I feed myself with victories, with results," said Mourinho. "But I thank them [for signing my name], I did that on the pitch. When I am in London, I meet Chelsea fans every day on the street. Hopefully, I can come back here in 20 years with my grandkids."
Speaking in a separate interview about the reaction, former Manchester United boss Mourinho said: "People in the UK have this culture, they don't forget the people who gave them happiness. It happened when I came here with [Man] United, when I came here with Inter. I was waiting for the same.
"When you go to Old Trafford, it is no different. It is their culture. Of course, my focus was the game but I heard it and I had to say thanks to the guys."
During the game Mourinho blew a kiss to the fans chanting his name, pleaded with Benfica fans to stop throwing objects at Chelsea's Enzo Fernández and even jogged onto the field to remove an errant ball.
Indeed, the man once nicknamed the "Special One" was the center of attention on his return to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
When the final whistle went, Mourinho gave Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca a hug and disappeared quickly down the tunnel, clearly disappointed to have lost and choosing not to engage more with the Chelsea supporters.
Speaking Monday upon his return to Stamford Bridge, he said he would "always be a Blue."
Mourinho recently took charge of Benfica after leaving Fenerbahce in Turkey. That put him back in the Champions League, a competition he won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.