Jose Mourinho has referred to himself as Chelsea's "enemy". He had talked of his need to employ a bodyguard so he could attend last night's match. And he is on record stating a preference for nabbing Gérard Houllier's job rather than Claudio Ranieri's. ("Liverpool are a team that interests everyone and Chelsea don't interest me so much. It's an uncertain project.")
So exactly what does he have to do to distance himself from the Chelsea post, which looks ever more vacant this morning? Skidaddle round Stamford Bridge flicking V-signs left, right and centre like he did at Old Trafford? While wearing a Fulham shirt? Because still the rumours persist.
And last night, as he took his seat to size up whoever would become Porto's opponents in the European Cup final - and perhaps the dimensions of the Stamford Bridge dug-outs while he was at it - the fans delivered their verdict on their possible new manager.
"If Ranieri goes, I'd be happy with Mourinho," said season-ticket holder Matthew Smith. "His teams are very organised and compact, you only had to look at the way Porto saw off Deportivo to see that. So he's obviously got a good football brain.
"I suppose Roman Abramovich is a hard-nosed businessman and wants the best man. But it's not as though second in the league and into the last four of the Champions League is too bad, is it? I'd stick with Ranieri whatever happens tonight. I'm sentimental like that."
Other fans were more trenchant. "The way Ranieri is being treated is a disgrace," said long-time fan Colin Shield. "The club has never been fair to him, messing him about to talk to other managers. Peter Kenyon's never made any real statement to back him. Those sort of underhand tactics might be OK at Manchester United but they don't recommend him to Chelsea fans.
"I like Mourinho, he's done well. But it takes time for a new manager to settle. Ranieri deserves another year at least. The crowd were up in arms about this a couple of weeks ago and they will be again tonight."
Although not if season-ticket holder Phil Humphreys had anything to do with it. "Mourinho's got to happen," he insisted. "Ranieri doesn't have the tactical awareness. The final nail in the coffin was his changes in the first Monaco game. He lost a lot of the fans that day. Three years is a long time to wait for nothing. Compare that to Mourinho - two years and Porto have won everything. And they beat Manchester United twice, which will do for us."
With all the speculation, it was easy to forget there was a Champions League semi-final to contest. But when it began, the promised vocal support for Ranieri never really materialised. The Stamford Bridge crowd were too carefree in singing the club classics to spend much time sticking up for their manager. Even when Chelsea took a 2-0 lead, the fans concentrated on Frank Lampard and his team-mates without much recourse to the dug-out.
As Monaco kicked off, ready to fight back, Ranieri simply stood on the touchline and shrugged. Either he was trying to keep his emotions in check and exude a super cool - a wise move in light of what would subsequently unfold - or perhaps he suddenly wondered why on earth he was bothering.
Meanwhile, Mourinho looked on impassively at Monaco's impressive display. With the final in mind, it is possible events at Stamford Bridge worried him. But not quite as much as they did Ranieri.
