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 a substitute.
“Once 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 scenario,” 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 night time, 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 might perceive, however I used to be dissatisfied.”
Mourinho mentioned he was “very flattered” to be provided the job of changing Ferguson “as a result of Manchester United has an unbelievable enchantment”.
“However one factor is love for soccer, one other factor is love for a sure membership,” he defined.
“I believe that is extra highly effective than love for soccer and essentially, after Actual Madrid, I wanted to really feel that I am liked.
“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 call 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 acquired a second probability to take over at United, succeeding Louis van Gaal.
Over a two-and-a-half yr spell at Previous Trafford, Mourinho received League Cup and Europa League titles earlier than being sacked in December 2018 following a droop in outcomes.
He returned to a different of his previous golf equipment, Actual Madrid, in Could this yr. Mourinho’s final spell there resulted in 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 concerning 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 instances.
