After years of hypothesis, Jose Mourinho has confirmed that he agreed to switch Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, earlier than altering his thoughts and re-joining Chelsea as an alternative.
“After I left Actual Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” the 63-year-old coach – now again at Actual for a second spell – mentioned in a brand new Netflix documentary collection about his profession.
“He was provided the job, sure,” confirmed Ferguson, who received 13 Premier League titles over 26 years at Previous Trafford earlier than retiring in 2013.
“I sat him down and defined the state of affairs,” he added: “So far as I used to be involved, he was accepting. After which, inside hours, it modified.”
What modified was that Mourinho felt he couldn’t flip down a return to Chelsea, the place he had received consecutive Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
“One evening, he phoned me and he was crying and he says, ‘Alex, I am unable to take it. I’ve given my phrase to Chelsea and I am not going to interrupt my phrase’,” mentioned the previous United boss.
“The explanation he gave to me, I may perceive, however I used to be disenchanted.”
Mourinho mentioned he was “very flattered” to be provided the job of changing Ferguson “as a result of Manchester United has an unbelievable attraction”.
“However one factor is love for soccer, one other factor is love for a sure membership,” he defined.
“I feel that is extra highly effective than love for soccer and essentially, after Actual Madrid, I wanted to really feel that I am cherished.
“For me to lose the possibility to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, however I do not remorse (it) as a result of it was a choice that I made with my coronary heart.”
After returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013, Mourinho went on to win his third Premier League title in addition to the League Cup.
In Could 2016, he received a second probability to take over at United, succeeding Louis van Gaal.
Over a two-and-a-half 12 months spell at Previous Trafford, Mourinho received League Cup and Europa League titles earlier than being sacked in December 2018 following a stoop in outcomes.
He returned to a different of his previous golf equipment, Actual Madrid, in Could this 12 months. Mourinho’s final spell there led to acrimony as he fell out with membership captain Iker Casillas and different gamers.
On the eve of his Actual reunion, the combative supervisor and former Spain goalkeeper Casillas spoke candidly in regards to the causes behind these variations.
Mourinho additionally spoke about difficulties he has confronted with former Chelsea proprietor Roman Abramovich, who employed him twice and sacked him each occasions.
