José Mourinho has revealed he signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013 before tearfully reversing his decision to return to Chelsea. The revelation emerges in a new Netflix documentary detailing the manager’s career, according to reporting from the Guardian.
The football world was stunned when Ferguson announced his retirement in May 2013 after delivering a 13th Premier League title during a spell of unrivalled dominance at Old Trafford. While David Moyes was ultimately handed the reins—lasting just 10 months before his dismissal—the historical trajectory of English football could have looked remarkably different had Mourinho honoured his signature.
The Secret 2013 Agreement and the Emotional Phone Call
Mourinho was departing Real Madrid at the time, coming off a bruising campaign that nevertheless included a 100-point La Liga season in 2011-12. In the documentary titled Mourinho, the Portuguese manager explained that the allure of Old Trafford was second only to his time in Madrid.
When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,
Mourinho told the documentary crew. I was, of course, very flattered, because Manchester United has an incredible appeal. When I say Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, I have to say that Manchester United is very, very close.
However, the agreement dissolved within hours. Mourinho found himself torn between the prestige of succeeding Ferguson and an enduring emotional attachment to Stamford Bridge, where he had previously captured two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups during his first spell with the Blues.
“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.”
Sir Alex Ferguson, via The Guardian
Ferguson corroborated the emotional exchange during his own interviews for the project. Though the United legend admitted he was left disappointed by the sudden U-turn, he understood the motivation behind it.
Heart Over Ambition: Returning to Stamford Bridge
Rather than moving north to Manchester, Mourinho set aside his past differences with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to return to London. His second stint yielded another Premier League crown and a League Cup before his departure in December 2015.
Reflecting on the decision years later, Mourinho expressed no remorse for bypassing the United job in 2013, framing the choice as an emotional imperative rather than a calculated career move.
“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 I made with my heart. And it is nature that says when you do something for love, you are never doing anything wrong. I think it’s nature. I did it for love.”
José Mourinho, via The Guardian
Had Mourinho taken the Old Trafford job in 2013, analysts note that the subsequent summer transfer window—which saw United flounder after missing out on targets like Thiago Alcântara before scrambling to sign Marouane Fellaini—would likely have played out with aggressive recruitment under his purview. Instead, Mourinho eventually arrived at Old Trafford three years later in 2016, enduring a turbulent two-and-a-half-year tenure before being sacked.
Legacy and Unresolved Questions
Manchester United have failed to secure another Premier League title since Ferguson’s retirement in May 2013. Meanwhile, Mourinho’s career has come full circle; he currently serves as manager of Real Madrid once again.
The documentary revelations leave lingering questions regarding how the Premier League’s power balance would have shifted had Mourinho entered Old Trafford at the exact moment of Ferguson’s departure. With elite managers like Pep Guardiola arriving at Manchester City in 2016, the window for a seamless managerial handover in Manchester was fiercely compressed.
Mourinho insists his return to Chelsea was anchored entirely in a desire to protect his legacy. Whether that romantic choice ultimately cost him the crowning achievement of succeeding the greatest manager in English football history remains one of modern football’s most compelling sliding-doors moments.
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