Jose Mourinho’s path to Manchester United could have begun three years earlier than it eventually did, but a dramatic change of heart in 2013 altered the course of both his career and the club’s post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
A new Netflix documentary focusing on Mourinho has shed fresh light on one of the most emotional moments surrounding Ferguson’s retirement, with the former United manager revealing that Mourinho called him in tears after deciding he could not take the Old Trafford job.
The Portuguese coach had initially agreed to succeed Ferguson, according to the legendary Scot, before reversing his decision and committing himself to a return to Chelsea.
Ferguson’s decision to retire in 2013 brought one of the most difficult succession decisions in Manchester United’s modern history.
After 27 years in charge, the Scot had built a team and culture that had dominated English football for much of the Premier League era. Mourinho was regarded as one of the strongest candidates to take over.
Speaking in the documentary, Ferguson recalled the conversation in which he believed Mourinho had accepted the position.
“He was offered the job, yes,” Ferguson said. “I sat him down and explained the situation and, as far as I was concerned, he was accepting.”
But the agreement did not last.
Ferguson said Mourinho changed his position within hours, creating an unexpected twist in the succession process.
Mourinho was approaching the end of a difficult spell at Real Madrid when the Manchester United opportunity emerged.
His third season in Spain had become increasingly turbulent, with tensions surrounding the dressing room and the club’s internal environment contributing to his eventual departure.
The situation left Mourinho looking for more than simply another prestigious job.
He wanted an environment where he felt emotionally connected to the club and appreciated by the people around him.
Manchester United’s appeal was never in question for Mourinho.
The Portuguese coach acknowledged that Old Trafford represented one of the biggest opportunities in world football, but he also explained that his emotional circumstances after leaving Madrid played a major role in his decision.
“I was, of course, very flattered, because Man United has an incredible appeal,” Mourinho said.
He also placed United among the very biggest clubs in world football, explaining that there was an important distinction between simply loving football and feeling a genuine attachment to a particular club.
For Mourinho, that emotional connection pointed towards Chelsea.
“Fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel I am loved,” he explained.
That feeling ultimately outweighed the opportunity to become Ferguson’s immediate successor.
Turning down Manchester United was not an easy decision for Mourinho, particularly because of his respect for Ferguson.
The Portuguese manager reportedly called the retiring United boss later that day to explain what had happened.
Ferguson remembers the conversation as an intensely emotional one.
“Early evening, he phoned me and he was crying,” Ferguson recalled.
According to Ferguson, Mourinho told him: “Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not gonna break my word.”
Ferguson admitted that he was disappointed, but he also understood Mourinho’s reasoning.
“The reason he gave to me, I could understand. But I was disappointed,” he said.
The exchange provides a rare glimpse into the personal relationship between two of football’s most influential managers and shows how difficult the decision was for Mourinho.
With Mourinho no longer available, Manchester United eventually appointed David Moyes as Ferguson’s successor.
The decision became one of the most scrutinised managerial appointments in the club’s history.
Moyes struggled to reproduce the standards established during Ferguson’s reign and lasted only around 10 months before being dismissed.
Louis van Gaal subsequently took charge and delivered the FA Cup during his second season, but his tenure also failed to restore United to the level of sustained domestic dominance supporters had become accustomed to.
Mourinho remained on Chelsea’s radar and returned to Stamford Bridge instead.
Three years after turning down the opportunity to replace Ferguson, Mourinho finally became Manchester United manager in 2016.
By then, the club had already experienced managerial instability and significant changes to its squad and footballing structure.
Despite those challenges, Mourinho made an immediate impact.
He guided United to the League Cup and Europa League during his first season, providing supporters with two major trophies and a sense that the club could begin moving back towards the top of European football.
However, his tenure eventually followed a pattern that had affected him at several previous clubs.
Mourinho’s relationship with Manchester United deteriorated during the 2018-19 campaign.
Results became increasingly inconsistent, tensions with players attracted significant attention and disagreements surrounding the club’s recruitment and sporting direction added to the pressure.
In December 2018, United dismissed Mourinho.
His departure raised another question that has remained part of the club’s modern football debate: would the post-Ferguson era have developed differently if Mourinho had accepted the job in 2013?
There is no definitive answer.
What can be established is that Mourinho would have inherited a team immediately after Ferguson rather than taking over three years later following the managerial spells of Moyes and Van Gaal.
Despite what happened at Manchester United, Mourinho has made it clear that he does not regret choosing Chelsea in 2013.
For him, the decision was based on emotion rather than a simple calculation about which job carried greater prestige.
“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was… dramatic,” Mourinho admitted.
Yet he insisted that he had made the decision for the right reasons.
“I don’t regret it, because it was a decision I made with my heart,” he said.
Mourinho then referenced philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche when explaining his position, arguing that acting out of love should not automatically be considered a mistake.
Mourinho returned to Chelsea shortly after leaving Real Madrid by mutual agreement.
His second spell at Stamford Bridge did not reach the extraordinary heights of his first tenure, but it still produced significant silverware.
In 2015, he led Chelsea to the Premier League title and League Cup, reinforcing the argument that his decision to return to London had been understandable at the time.
The subsequent deterioration of that Chelsea spell, however, eventually brought Mourinho back onto the managerial market.
By then, Manchester United had moved through another phase of transition.
The counterfactual surrounding Mourinho and United remains one of the most fascinating questions in recent Premier League history.
Had he accepted Ferguson’s offer, Mourinho would have inherited a squad that had just won the Premier League title under Ferguson.
He would also have entered the club before the structural and sporting problems that later became increasingly visible had fully developed.
Instead, Mourinho arrived in 2016 to find a club already trying to recover from the difficult transitions that followed Ferguson’s retirement.
That distinction matters when assessing his eventual record at Old Trafford.
His trophies in his first season demonstrated that he could still deliver success, but sustaining that progress proved far more difficult.
Ferguson’s retirement was always going to create an enormous challenge for Manchester United.
Replacing a manager who had spent 27 years building the club was never going to be straightforward, but the uncertainty surrounding Mourinho added another unexpected chapter to the story.
Moyes was ultimately chosen, but his short tenure meant United lost valuable time in the search for a long-term successor.
Van Gaal brought greater experience and won the FA Cup, yet the club still lacked the stability required to challenge consistently for the Premier League title.
By the time Mourinho arrived, United were already operating in a very different environment from the one Ferguson had left behind.
Mourinho’s emotional phone call to Ferguson illustrates just how close football history came to taking a different path.
The Portuguese coach had the opportunity to become the first manager of the post-Ferguson era, but chose to honour a commitment he had made to Chelsea.
His reasoning was personal, and his later career showed that the decision was not without logic.
Yet Manchester United’s struggles after Ferguson ensure that the decision remains one of football’s most intriguing alternatives.
Mourinho eventually became United manager and won European and domestic silverware, but he did so after the club had already entered a period of instability. That makes the events of 2013 more than an emotional anecdote. They represent a turning point that could have reshaped Manchester United’s history.
