Jose Mourinho agreed to become Manchester United's manager after Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, then backed out within hours to return to Chelsea instead. Mourinho, now 63 and back at Real Madrid for a second spell, confirmed the story in a Netflix documentary series about his career.
According to BBC Sport, Mourinho described the moment plainly. "When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex," he said in the documentary.
Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles over 26 years at Old Trafford, confirmed his side of the story. "He was offered the job, yes," Ferguson said. "I sat him down and explained the situation. As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed."
What changed was a phone call. Mourinho felt he could not break his word to Chelsea, where he had won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006. Ferguson described the moment directly. "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 said. "The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed."
Mourinho said he was "very flattered" by the offer, calling United a club with "an incredible appeal." But he drew a distinction between love for the sport and loyalty to a specific club. "I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I'm loved," he said. He also acknowledged what he gave up. "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."
After returning to Chelsea in 2013, Mourinho won a third Premier League title and the League Cup at Stamford Bridge. He did eventually get to Old Trafford. In May 2016, he succeeded Louis van Gaal as United manager and won the League Cup and Europa League before being sacked in December 2018 following a run of poor results.
The documentary also touches on other difficult relationships in Mourinho's career. He spoke about tensions with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who hired and fired him twice. His first return to Real Madrid also ended in conflict, as he fell out with club captain Iker Casillas and other players. On the eve of his latest return to the Bernabeu, both Mourinho and Casillas spoke publicly about those differences.
During his first stint at Real, Mourinho helped the club challenge Pep Guardiola's dominant Barcelona side, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. The 100 points Real accumulated in the 2011-12 season remains a La Liga record. His third season unraveled, and Real finished 15 points behind rivals at the end of 2012-13.
Mourinho returned to Real Madrid this past May.
