José Mourinho says he turned down Manchester United job in 2013
José Mourinho has revealed in a new three-part Netflix documentary that he agreed in 2013 to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager but changed his mind and returned to Chelsea.
The series, titled Mourinho, traces the Portuguese coach's career, including his spells at Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United, and features his account of events after he left Real Madrid at the end of the 2012-13 season following three years in charge. Mourinho had been expected to return to Chelsea but says he initially accepted the United offer before reversing course.
Ferguson announced his retirement at the end of the 2012-13 season after 26 years at Old Trafford; the Scot had won 13 Premier League titles and left United as the club's most successful manager. "I sat him down and explained the situation. And as far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then within hours, it changed," Ferguson said in the documentary about Mourinho's reaction to the offer.
Mourinho described the sequence of events directly in the film: "When I left Real Madrid, I signed with Manchester United to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex," he said. Ferguson recounted a later phone call in which Mourinho was emotional: "One night, 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,'" Ferguson said. "The reason he gave to me, I could understand. But I was disappointed."
On-screen, Mourinho said the United role was attractive but that his connection to Chelsea determined his final decision. "I was very flattered to be offered the job because Manchester United has an incredible appeal," he said. "But one thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club. I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I'm loved."
The documentary also recounts Mourinho's difficult final season at Real Madrid, noting deteriorated relationships with several players and a feud with captain Iker Casillas; Real finished the 2012-13 season without a major trophy and Mourinho left the club in the summer of 2013. Reflecting on surrendering the United post he said it was painful but a heartfelt choice: "For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic. But I don't regret it because it was a decision that I made with my heart," Mourinho said. "I went back with the feeling of yes, I go home, but with a big responsibility because what I did before is history, and you don't want to destroy your legacy."
Mourinho returned to Chelsea in June 2013 and later guided the club to the Premier League title and League Cup in the 2014-15 season. Manchester United appointed then-Everton manager David Moyes as Ferguson's successor; Moyes was greeted with a banner reading "The Chosen One" but his tenure lasted 10 months and he was sacked in April 2014 after United failed to qualify for the Champions League. Mourinho was appointed Manchester United in 2016 after Louis van Gaal's departure, won the League Cup and Europa League in his first season and led United to second place in the Premier League in 2017-18, before his relationship with the club deteriorated and he was dismissed in December 2018.
The Netflix series also examines Mourinho's relationship with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who hired and dismissed him during both of his spells at Stamford Bridge.
