The suggestion from Jose Mourinho that Frank Lampard's dalliance with Manchester City ended his love affair with Chelsea has proved misplaced, underlined by the fact he is now in charge of the Stamford Bridge club.
And, according to Lampard, the one year he spent at The Etihad is a big reason he returns as a manager on Saturday.
The spectre of Mourinho is impossible for most Chelsea managers to escape at the best of times.
Lampard already knows that having seen his team on the receiving end of a couple of pointed comments during the Special One's punditry stint this season, both which have been eloquently swatted away by the former midfielder with little interest in fuelling any potential fire.
This week, Mourinho's surprise return to management with Chelsea's big rivals Tottenham has put him right back on the football agenda again though it is a comment from five years ago that was especially relevant for Lampard ahead of this weekend.
After he ended up at Manchester City via their sister club New York City FC, who he joined when his Chelsea contract expired, and then scored an equaliser for his new club against his old in September 2014, then manager Mourinho, said: 'When he decided to become a direct competitor of Chelsea then love stories are over.'
Lampard's response was measured as ever. 'At the time I didn't feel it was quite right, I have to say that,' he said.
'It was directly after the match and sometimes the emotions of the match, whether I scored the equalising goal, can affect the comment or type of comment.
'The bigger picture on that one for me is the love story or not is probably always decided by the fans and the club and it has proven now I am here managing the club that I think a lot of people understood how I felt about Chelsea, always did, always will do regardless of the year at Manchester City.'
Chelsea fans that day were certainly not singing from the same hymn sheet as Mourinho but instead chanting all-time stop scorer Lampard's name in recognition of his stellar service and achievements.
Asked if that further strengthened his relationship with Chelsea fans, Lampard said: 'Maybe yeah, maybe yeah. The reaction of me going to Manchester City was something I was concerned about after 13 years here.
'But to see then the feeling I got from the Chelsea fans on that day was an emotional thing for me and it hasn't stopped from that day.'
Looking back on how pivotal those 12 months at City under Manuel Pellegrini were in where he is now, Lampard said: 'The year in Manchester, in terms of what I'm doing here now, was perfect for me because it opened my eyes to another club, another structure, another dressing-room, another coaching philosophy, another idea.
'And then at New York, again that continued and that starts to shape what you're thinking next.
'At the time I was trying to look around me more and see things from a different side, which was less as a player and more about how I'd work with people around me.
'I can't look back on my career now with any negative feelings even about leaving Chelsea now. I just look back with a thankful feeling that I had such a long career at great places.'
Part of his job now is dealing with the potshots from outside, the latest coming from Mourinho who, pre-Spurs appointment, said: 'In the first weekend [a 4-0 defeat at Manchester United], I was worried and I'm still worried with the big matches.'
Mourinho's claim drew a sarcastic social media response from No 2 Jody Morris which earned him a small ticking off from club chiefs though Lampard dismissed as 'small fry.'
Lampard claimed only looking at Chelsea's big-game results 'loosely' would cause concern given their performances, for example against Liverpool.
Ahead of their next big assignment he added: 'My worry is Chelsea, not really anybody else's worry. It's not his worry, particularly not now. But I've got no problem.
'I look at where we are in the table. I look at where we can improve and I've got faith in the team as we go forward.'