Mourinho Reveals He Agreed To Replace Ferguson At Man United

José Mourinho (R) and Sir Alex Ferguson

 

José Mourinho has revealed that he had initially agreed to become Manchester United manager following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, before changing his mind and returning to Chelsea.

The revelation comes in a new Netflix documentary series about Mourinho’s career, which is set to premiere on 11 August.

Ferguson stepped down in 2013 after 26 years at Old Trafford, having won a record 13 Premier League titles. He recommended then-Everton boss David Moyes as his successor, with Moyes famously branded “The Chosen One.”

Mourinho, however, has now confirmed that he was originally lined up to take over from Ferguson.

“When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” Mourinho said.

Ferguson recalled that Mourinho had been offered the position and initially appeared ready to accept it.

“I sat him down and explained the situation. As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed,” Ferguson said.

According to Mourinho, his decision was influenced by an emotional desire to return to Chelsea, where he had previously enjoyed a highly successful spell, winning back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.

Ferguson revealed that Mourinho later called him in tears, explaining that he had given his word to Chelsea and did not want to break his promise.

“I could understand the reason he gave me, but I was disappointed,” Ferguson said.

Mourinho admitted that missing out on the opportunity to succeed Ferguson was a major disappointment but insisted he has no regrets.

“I was very flattered to be offered the job because Manchester United has an incredible appeal,” he said.

“But one thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club. I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I’m loved.”

Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013 and went on to win another Premier League title and the League Cup before being dismissed in December 2015.

Moyes, meanwhile, lasted only 10 months at Manchester United before being sacked.

Mourinho eventually got his opportunity at Old Trafford in 2016, succeeding Louis van Gaal. During his two-and-a-half-year tenure, he won the League Cup and Europa League, before leaving the club in December 2018 following a poor run of results.

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