Mourinho broke a deal with United to succeed Ferguson in 2013

Portuguese manager José Mourinho signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United in 2013, but, although it was “dramatic,” he broke the agreement and returned to Chelsea FC, where he had previously managed successfully.

The current Real Madrid manager makes this revelation during ‘Mourinho,’ a new Netflix documentary about his life, in which he agreed to join the Red Devils after his first stint with Real Madrid.

“I signed for Chelsea in 2013, but there’s something about that period that nobody knows. I think I can say it because telling the truth doesn’t hurt anyone, and I think the goal of this project we’re doing is to tell the truth. When I left Real Madrid, I signed with Manchester United to take over after Sir Alex’s departure,” Mourinho explains.

The man from Setúbal, who later moved to Old Trafford in 2016, says that, “of course,” he felt “very flattered, because Manchester United has incredible appeal.” “When I say that Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, I have to say that Manchester United is a very, very close second,” he notes.

“But there’s a difference between love for football and love for a specific club. I think this is more powerful than love for football, and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel wanted,” the Portuguese manager adds.

Ferguson is another of the football figures interviewed for the new documentary and admits that he had hoped Mourinho would accept the offer, but the situation changed in a matter of hours. “Early in the afternoon he called me and he was crying. And he said: ‘Alex, I can’t accept it; I gave my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break it.’ I could understand his reasoning, but I was disappointed,” the Scotsman confesses.

Mourinho had a strong connection with Chelsea after leading them to two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups during an unforgettable first spell. The Portuguese manager put aside his differences with owner Roman Abramovich to return to Stamford Bridge after leaving Real Madrid, winning another Premier League title and another League Cup before being sacked in December 2015.

“For me, missing out on the chance to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret it because it was a decision I made with my heart. And I think it’s nature that tells us that when you do something out of love, you’re never doing anything wrong. I think it’s just nature. I did it out of love,” Mourinho explains.

The manager says he returned to Chelsea feeling like he was coming “home,” but also “with a great responsibility” because what he had done before “was already history, and you don’t want to destroy your legacy.”