Jose Mourinho has revealed that he had agreed to become Manchester United manager after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 before making a dramatic U-turn and returning to Chelsea instead.
The Portuguese coach, who had just left Real Madrid, was initially set to take over from Ferguson at Old Trafford. But his desire to return to Stamford Bridge ultimately proved stronger, with Mourinho choosing Chelsea despite knowing he was passing up the opportunity to succeed one of the most celebrated managers in football history.
The revelation comes in a new Netflix documentary series about Mourinho’s career and offers a fresh insight into one of the biggest managerial decisions of the post-Ferguson era.
Ferguson himself recalled believing that Mourinho had accepted the Manchester United job.
“I sat him down and explained the situation,” Ferguson said. “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”
Mourinho eventually explained to Ferguson that he could not walk away from Chelsea after giving the club his word.
Mourinho chose Chelsea despite Manchester United opportunity
Mourinho said he was hugely attracted by the prospect of succeeding Ferguson, whose retirement had created one of the most coveted managerial vacancies in world football.
But the pull of Chelsea, where he had already won two Premier League titles, proved decisive.
“One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says, ‘Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break my word’,” Ferguson recalled.
Ferguson admitted he understood Mourinho’s reasoning, although he was disappointed to lose his preferred successor.
Mourinho said the decision was ultimately driven by something deeper than the prestige of the Manchester United job.
“I was very flattered by the possibility of being the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson,” he said.
“But one thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club.”
The Portuguese manager added that, after his time at Real Madrid, he needed to return somewhere he felt genuinely wanted.
“I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I’m loved.”
Mourinho eventually joined Manchester United
Mourinho’s decision did not permanently close the door on Manchester United. He returned to Chelsea in 2013 and guided the club to another Premier League title in the 2014/15 season, as well as the League Cup.
Three years later, the opportunity at Old Trafford finally arrived Mourinho was appointed Manchester United manager in 2016, succeeding Louis van Gaal, and spent two-and-a-half years in charge.
He won the League Cup and Europa League during his time at the club, before being dismissed in December 2018 following a poor run of results.
His eventual appointment therefore came three years after he had rejected the chance to take over directly from Ferguson.
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Looking back, Mourinho accepts that turning down Manchester United meant giving up an opportunity that might never have returned but he does not regard the decision as a mistake.
“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret it because it was a decision that I made with my heart,” Mourinho said.
His revelation offers another glimpse into the complicated succession that followed Ferguson’s extraordinary 26-year reign at Manchester United.
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Had Mourinho accepted the job in 2013, the club’s post-Ferguson story could have taken a very different direction. Instead, David Moyes became Ferguson’s immediate successor, while Mourinho returned to Chelsea and had to wait another three years before eventually taking charge at Old Trafford.
