Wrexham have been drawn at home to Chelsea in the FA Cup, giving boss Phil Parkinson the chance to recreate a famous victory from earlier in his career
Phil Parkinson the manager of Bradford City and Jose Mourinho manager of Chelsea exchange words during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Bradford City at Stamford Bridge on January 24, 2015
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson rejected a handshake from Jose Mourinho while managing Bradford(Image: Getty Images)
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Wrexham will be aiming to pull off a huge FA Cup upset after being handed a tantalising home fixture against Chelsea in the fifth round. The tie has triggered excitement across the Welsh city following Monday night's draw.
The Red Dragons put their name in the hat following a 1-0 victory over Championship counterparts Ipswich Town, thanks to a 34th-minute Josh Windass goal. There'll be plenty of eyes on the Racecourse Ground for the weekend of March 7/8, with a date and kick-off time to be confirmed in due course.
But while Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac will dominate the headlines, the mastermind sits in the dugout. Phil Parkinson knows exactly how to take apart the Blues.
In January 2015, the Wrexham manager was in charge of League One side Bradford City when he oversaw an astonishing 4-2 victory at Stamford Bridge in the fourth round of the same competition after falling 2-0 behind. Chelsea were overwhelming favourites that afternoon as goals from Ramires and Gary Cahill established a commanding advantage.
However, Jon Stead reduced the deficit before half-time, setting the stage for a remarkable second-half comeback with strikes from Felipe Morais, Andy Halliday and Mark Yeates. Yet it was a revealing moment in the dying stages that showcased Parkinson's unwavering determination.
As time ran out, legendary Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho made his way to the Bradford dugout to extend his congratulations. With three-and-a-half minutes remaining, a completely focused Parkinson refused to be sidetracked and turned down his handshake.
He said at the time: "He (Mourinho) came over to shake hands but at that point there was still three-and-a-half minutes left and I wasn't getting drawn into that.
"You know that if Chelsea got one back even at that late stage, and with their world-class players on the pitch, they could easily have got a second. We wanted to concentrate on what we had to do and see the game through."
Bradford City's Mark Yeates celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal of the match against Chelsea
Bradford secured a famous victory by dumping Chelsea out of the FA Cup in 2015(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea via Getty)
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That winning mindset has subsequently lifted Wrexham from the National League all the way to the Championship. Looking back on that 2015 win in a 2023 interview with The Athletic, Parkinson remembered witnessing Mourinho recognise the match was slipping away.
He said: "Jose Mourinho had been sat down but then he stood in the technical area with this look in his eyes, as if to say he knew the game was running away from him.
"As a manager, you can sense it. You see the opposition start quicker and be more aggressive. And you know exactly how hard it can be to turn that back on within one half of football, even a team as good as that Chelsea one."
He added: "Everything just clicked for us against Chelsea. Even in the first half when we were two goals behind, we had played really well. We got a goal back just before half-time and the belief just went from there. It was everything that makes the cup so magical."
Parkinson's instinct will prove crucial when Liam Rosenior's Chelsea make the trip to the Racecourse. While the Blues will arrive as favourites, they're up against a manager who's already pulled off a shock result against them in the past.
Despite being overlooked in 2015, Mourinho later made his way to the Bradford changing room in what Parkinson described as a "real touch of class." Wrexham supporters will be hoping for a similar storyline next month.