Jose Mourinho has revealed that he agreed to become Manchester United manager after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 before changing his mind and returning to Chelsea.
The Portuguese manager made the revelation in a new Netflix documentary series about his career, which is set to be released on 11 August.
Mourinho said he had agreed to succeed Ferguson after leaving Real Madrid, but ultimately chose to return to Stamford Bridge because of his emotional connection with Chelsea.
“When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” Mourinho said.
Mourinho admitted that missing out on the opportunity to succeed Ferguson was a painful moment, but insisted he does not regret his decision.
“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.”
“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 instead returned to Chelsea in 2013 and went on to win his third Premier League title with the club, as well as the League Cup.
Ferguson had originally recommended David Moyes, then manager of Everton, as his successor. Moyes was appointed and famously became known as “The Chosen One”, but lasted only 10 months before being sacked.
Mourinho eventually got his chance to manage Manchester United in 2016, succeeding Louis van Gaal.
During his two-and-a-half-year spell at Old Trafford, he won the League Cup and Europa League before being dismissed in December 2018 following a poor run of results.
