After years of speculation, José Mourinho has confirmed that he agreed to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013. However, he later changed his mind and returned to Chelsea.
“When I left Real Madrid, I signed a contract with Manchester United to follow Sir Alex,” Mourinho revealed in a new documentary series about his career, set to be released on Netflix on August 11.
“He was offered the job, yes,” Ferguson confirmed. The legendary manager, who secured 13 Premier League titles over 26 years at Old Trafford before retiring in 2013, added, “I spoke to him and explained the situation. As far as I understood, he agreed. But then, within a few hours, everything changed.”
The shift occurred because Mourinho felt he could not turn down the chance to return to Chelsea, where he had won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
“One evening, he called me, crying, and said, ‘Alex, I can’t do it anymore. I gave my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break it,'” Ferguson recounted.
“I understood the reason he gave me, but I was disappointed.”
After his return to Stamford Bridge in 2013, Mourinho secured his third Premier League title along with the League Cup.
In May 2016, he took his second opportunity to manage Manchester United, replacing Louis van Gaal.
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