MOURINHO REVEALS HE SIGNED TO SUCCEED FERGUSON IN 2013

José Mourinho has revealed he signed a contract to become Manchester United manager in 2013 following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, only to change his mind and rejoin Chelsea instead. Mourinho made the disclosure in a Netflix documentary about his career, released on 11 August. Ferguson, who retired in 2013 after winning 13 Premier League titles over 26 years at Old Trafford, confirmed the account in an interview for the same film. According to Ferguson, Mourinho telephoned him in the early evening in tears, saying he could not break his commitment to Chelsea.

Mourinho explained his decision in the documentary, stating that after leaving Real Madrid he needed to feel loved by a club rather than simply pursuing football success. "One thing is love for football, and another thing is love for a certain club," he said. "I think this is more powerful than love for football and, fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I'm loved." Ferguson said he understood Mourinho's reasoning but expressed disappointment at the reversal, which occurred within hours of their initial agreement. Mourinho instead returned to Chelsea in 2013, where he won a Premier League title and the League Cup.

Mourinho eventually joined Manchester United in May 2016 as successor to Louis van Gaal, spending two and a half years at Old Trafford before being sacked in December 2018. During that tenure he won the League Cup and Europa League. He has since returned to Real Madrid, where his appointment was confirmed in June this year.