Jose Mourinho has revealed that he agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013 before changing his mind and returning to Chelsea.
The revelation appears in a new Netflix documentary about the Portuguese coach’s career, in which Mourinho recalls negotiations that could have taken him to Old Trafford immediately after Ferguson’s retirement.
Ferguson, who retired after 26 years at United and 13 Premier League titles, confirmed that Mourinho had accepted the offer.
Mourinho ultimately chose Chelsea, where he had already won two Premier League titles. He said the decision was driven by his emotional connection to the London club.
Chelsea won the battle for Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013 and won another Premier League title and the League Cup during his second spell.
His relationship with the club eventually deteriorated and he was dismissed in December 2015. Five months later, United gave him the opportunity that had eluded him three years earlier.
Mourinho spent two and a half seasons at Old Trafford, winning the League Cup and Europa League before being sacked in December 2018 following a poor run of results.
The manager has since worked at Tottenham, Roma and Fenerbahce before returning to Real Madrid for a second spell.
His career has repeatedly been shaped by complicated relationships with club executives and players, with the documentary also revisiting his disputes at Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Mourinho revisits his Real Madrid feud with Casillas
Mourinho’s first spell at Real Madrid produced major success. He won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup while challenging Pep Guardiola‘s dominant Barcelona side.
His 2011-12 league team collected 100 points, a record in Spain’s top flight at the time.
The relationship between Jose Mourinho and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, however, deteriorated during his final season. Casillas was Real’s captain and one of the club’s most important figures but spent much of the 2012-13 campaign on the bench.
Former Real midfielder Sami Khedira said the dispute damaged the wider dressing room, with tensions also involving players including Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos.
Mourinho defended his approach, arguing that Casillas’ attitude towards training and the Spain national team created problems. He also objected to the close relationships between Real Madrid players and their Barcelona rivals when the clubs were competing for major honours.
Shevchenko signing remains a Chelsea flashpoint
The documentary also examines Mourinho’s turbulent relationship with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who dismissed him twice.
Jose Mourinho said Abramovich became increasingly involved in football decisions during his first spell at Stamford Bridge, including the club’s pursuit of Andriy Shevchenko.
The Ukrainian striker joined Chelsea in 2006 for about £30mn but struggled to reproduce his form from AC Milan, scoring nine Premier League goals during his three-year stay.
Mourinho said he had wanted Samuel Eto‘o instead but accepted responsibility for failing to oppose the transfer strongly enough.
His relationship with Abramovich became personal after Mourinho’s first dismissal. When Inter Milan faced Chelsea in the Champions League knockout stages in 2010, Mourinho admitted that beating his former club carried an extra motivation.
Inter won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge before going on to claim the Champions League under Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese coach said the victory gave him satisfaction because Abramovich had been responsible for his departure from Chelsea, but his comments also reflected the broader theme of the documentary: Mourinho’s career has been shaped as much by personal loyalties and conflicts as by trophies and results.
