STAMFORD Bridge has this week broken out in a wave of diplomacy as returning boss Jose Mourinho seeks to agree his backroom team with Chelsea.
The departing Real Madrid man's staff is already looking to be a slightly unwieldy coalition of his own trusted lieutenants and existing club employees.
During a masterful welcome interview on the club's own TV channel he made mention of seven coaching staff who could conceivably have the status of assistant manager.
Principal among those were fitness coach Rui Faria and goalkeeping coach Silvino Louro – both of whom have formed part of his team for more than a decade.
And there the first area for potential conflict arises.
Louro, known as a strong character, seems to at least in part duplicate the role of Christophe Lollichon: Chelsea's equally strong-willed goalkeeping coach since Mourinho's 2007 departure, and a trusted confidante of Petr Cech for the last 12 years.
Also coming in are Jose Morais, Mourinho's replacement in his team for Andre Villas-Boas; and match analyst James Melbourne.
Assistant coach Steve Holland and fitness coach Chris Jones have been confirmed as staying from Chelsea's own set-up; and there remains confusion over the status of former Blues winger Boudewijn Zenden – brought in to assist interim boss Rafael Benitez.
Mourinho said of the set-up: “From this moment they become only one staff, which is Chelsea staff, and we are going to work together and work hard to try to give what everybody is waiting for.”
Above all of them sits technical director Michael Emenalo – and there has already been plenty of speculation about the dynamics of his potential relationship with the new manager.
The exact shape of the backroom staff, plus any additional names thrown into the mix, should become clearer when Mourinho is belatedly 'unveiled' during what is expected to be a hugely well-attended press conference at Stamford Bridge on Monday lunchtime.
Meanwhile Mourinho has already sought to quash talk that he is ready to ship out big name stars – notably David Luiz, sporadically linked with Barcelona.
“I've come with a four-year contract so with the age of Eden Hazard, Oscar, David Luiz and these boys, I think it will be good for me to work with them and good for them to work with me,” said the Portuguese.
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