Mourinho agreed then withdrew from Manchester United job in 2013, Netflix documentary reveals

Jose Mourinho agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013 but withdrew days later, according to a Netflix documentary released on 11 August; meetings to secure his appointment were held in Madrid and London.

People connected to Manchester United at the time say attempts to sign Mourinho began weeks earlier, but one source told BBC Sport the actual reversal of the decision was rapid, occurring over "days." The process moved from initial discussions to terms before breaking down, following Ferguson's disclosure that he would stand down at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

Ferguson recounts a phone call in which Mourinho was in tears and explained his reasons, saying: "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'." Some people connected to United remain sceptical that family reasons were the sole factor in Mourinho's withdrawal.

Sources note Mourinho, described in the documentary as having a family home in London, had previously promised to return there after his 2007 Chelsea sacking and maintained a positive relationship with Chelsea's former owner Roman Abramovich. For a time United believed they had secured Mourinho and regarded the episode as a pivotal moment, coming as Ferguson prepared to leave in the same summer as chief executive David Gill.

With Mourinho no longer in consideration and Pep Guardiola committed to Bayern Munich, Manchester United appointed Everton's David Moyes, unveiling him under the 'The Chosen One' banner. Moyes was seen as sharing several traits with Ferguson but had not managed at the same highest level as the departing manager.

Mourinho eventually became Manchester United manager in 2016, replacing Louis van Gaal, who was sacked 48 hours after his side had beaten Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup. By then the squad and dressing room had changed: of the 18 players who had started 10 or more Premier League games in the 2012-13 title-winning campaign, only six — David de Gea, Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia — did so in Mourinho's first season.

The documentary also covers Mourinho's record: he won the Premier League in his second spell at Chelsea but left in December 2015 with the club 16th and one point above the relegation places. At Manchester United he won the Europa League and EFL Cup in his first season, twice qualified for the Champions League, and described finishing second — 19 points behind champions Manchester City — as one of the "best achievements" of his career; United's 81 points that season is cited as their highest total in a post-Ferguson Premier League campaign. The account notes fallouts with players including Paul Pogba and Mourinho's public criticism of the club hierarchy over Anthony Martial, whom he wanted to sell.

People connected to United say transfer business would have differed had Mourinho taken over in 2013: sources stress an agreed move for Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona was not executed, Marouane Fellaini later joined from Everton for £27.5m on deadline day only after the club missed out on a lower release fee, and it is claimed Fellaini would not have been signed. The documentary states Mourinho gave his views on several players, including Italy midfielder Daniele de Rossi, and some interviewees believe he would have had a greater impact if he had directly followed Ferguson.

Ferguson uses the Netflix documentary to recount the episode and Mourinho's reaction, and Mourinho himself says he agreed to replace Ferguson at Manchester United.