'Little Magpie' Mourinho relishing Tyneside trip

Benfica coach has a long-held affinity with Newcastle due to his spell working with Bobby Robson at Barcelona

- Louise Taylor

To José Mourinho, Newcastle United represents a road never taken. Whenever Mourinho visits St James' Park he takes time to stand by the statue of Sir Bobby Robson outside the Milburn Stand and spend a few minutes paying silent tribute to the memory of his mentor.

In 1999 Robson wanted the Portuguese to join him at Newcastle as an assistant manager with a view to eventually taking the top job but Mourinho, who returns to northeast England for a Champions League engagement with Benfica tonight, declined. Instead, Robson's former translator turned No 2 at Barcelona kicked off his own managerial adventure the following year with a brief spell at Benfica. Now, after a turbulent stint at Fenerbahce, he is back in charge at the Estádio da Luz after succeeding the sacked Bruno Lage last month.

The match tonight will be the 62-year-old's 13th competitive appearance on Tyneside as a manager but previous trips with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham produced only three wins. How he would revel in registering a fourth victory at the expense of a club with which, thanks to Robson, Mourinho has always claimed to feel a strange affinity.