Jose Mourinho, the coach of Real Madrid, has disclosed that he consented to take over as manager of Manchester United in 2013 but later changed his mind and went back to Chelsea.
After leaving Real Madrid, Mourinho revealed he had accepted the chance to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson, but in the end, he decided to pursue his passion and go back to Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho stated in a new Netflix documentary series about his career, “I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex when I left Real Madrid,” according to reports.
Ferguson verified that Mourinho had received the job offer and seemed prepared to take it at first.
Ferguson stated, “I sat him down and explained the situation.” He was accepting, in my opinion. After that, it altered in a matter of hours.
Mourinho clarified that he couldn’t refuse Chelsea, where he had won two Premier League championships.
He called me one evening while crying and said, “Alex, I can’t take it. I promised Chelsea that I wouldn’t break my word.
I was disappointed, but I could understand the reason he gave me,” Ferguson recounted.
Due to Manchester United’s enormous appeal, Mourinho claimed he was “very flattered” by the idea of taking Ferguson’s place at Old Trafford.
“Love for football is one thing, but love for a particular club is another.
I believe that this is stronger than a passion for football, and at my core, I needed to feel loved after Real Madrid.
It was dramatic for me to lose the opportunity to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as coach, but I don’t regret it because it was a decision that I made with my heart, ” he remarked.
After returning to Chelsea in 2013, Mourinho won the League Cup and his third Premier League championship with the team.
In 2016, after three years, he succeeded Louis van Gaal as manager of Manchester United.
Before being fired in December 2018 due to a string of subpar performances, Mourinho won the League Cup and Europa League during his two and a half years at Old Trafford.
The discovery begs the question of how the club’s post-Ferguson period would have developed had Mourinho taken over in 2013 and adds another fascinating chapter to the tale of Ferguson’s succession at Manchester United.
