José Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson have revealed a deal was in place for the former to become Manchester United manager in 2013, only for the plan to be scrapped in a tearful phone call between the two.
In the upcoming Netflix film Mourinho, the Portuguese disclosed that he accepted an offer to succeed Ferguson as United manager before the Scot’s retirement 13 years ago. Yet Mourinho decided he had to return to Chelsea – his original English club whom he left for the first time in 2007 – after giving them his word.
Ferguson and Mourinho confirmed in the documentary that they held talks and reached an agreement for the latter to move to Manchester after his first spell at Real Madrid. After Mourinho’s change of heart, United appointed David Moyes as Ferguson’s successor, who was sacked nine months into a six-year contract.
Mourinho would win the league with Chelsea in 2014-15 before being sacked the following season. Six months later he did eventually join United, succeeding Louis van Gaal in 2016, but could have taken the Old Trafford job three years earlier. “When I left Real Madrid I signed with Manchester United to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” Mourinho said in the documentary, which is released on Tuesday.
“I was of course very flattered because Man Utd has an incredible appeal. When I say Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world I have to say that Man Utd is very, very close. 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 am loved.
“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret, because it was a decision that I made with my heart. I think that it is Nietzsche that said when you do something for love you are never doing anything wrong. I did it for love.”
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Ferguson was heavily involved in the process of identifying his successor and it had previously been assumed that Moyes was the club’s first choice. It has now been confirmed by Ferguson that Mourinho rejected the role before Moyes was appointed. “He was offered the job, yes,” said Ferguson of Mourinho in the same documentary.
“I sat him down and explained the situation and as far as I was concerned he was accepting. Then within hours it changed. Early evening 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’.
“The reason he gave to me I could understand, but I was disappointed.”
Moyes would be the first of several able managers who struggled to match Ferguson’s standards in Manchester. He was sacked with four games of the season remaining after a 2-0 loss to his former club Everton. Van Gaal won an FA Cup in 2016 but the final was overshadowed by news spreading that Mourinho would soon be replacing him, given his failure to finish in the Champions League places.
Mourinho’s time in Manchester brought Europa League and League Cup success as well as a second-placed finish in 2017-18 before the familiar pattern of a rancorous third season, which ended prematurely with his departure in December. Spells at Spurs, Roma, Fenerbahce and Benfica followed for Mourinho before he rejoined Real Madrid this summer. Meanwhile United’s post-Ferguson struggles continued under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. Michael Carrick is now charged with turning United’s fortunes around following his impressive stint as interim head coach last season.