Jose Mourinho Reveals He Signed Contract to Succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd

Jose Mourinho signed a contract to become Manchester United manager in 2013 following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, but ultimately turned down the job in tears to return to Chelsea, according to revelations in a new biographical Netflix documentary titled ‘Mourinho’. The Scottish manager announced his retirement after securing a 13th Premier League title during an era of domestic dominance at Old Trafford.

The 2013 Contract and the Decision for Chelsea

Mourinho left Real Madrid at the end of the 2012-13 campaign and formally agreed to take over the Old Trafford dugout. “When I left Real Madrid, I signed with Manchester United to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” Mourinho stated in the documentary, as cited by RTÉ.

Despite the massive appeal of the Premier League club—which Mourinho described as very close to Real Madrid in stature—personal loyalty intervened. Rather than moving north to Manchester, the Portuguese coach contacted Ferguson by phone to reverse his decision.

Early evening 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’. The reason he gave to me I could understand, but I was disappointed.

Sir Alex Ferguson (via RTÉ)

Mourinho had previously built a deep emotional attachment to Chelsea during his initial stint at Stamford Bridge, where he collected two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. By choosing a return to west London over the United post, Mourinho bypassed what he later called a dramatic missed opportunity, explaining that he acted purely for love. “For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret because it was a decision that I made with my heart,” Mourinho said.

Turmoil at Real Madrid Preceding the Exit

The backdrop to Mourinho’s departure from Spain involved severe internal friction at Real Madrid. According to BBC Sport, Mourinho’s third season in the Spanish capital concluded with the side finishing 15 points behind Barcelona, accompanied by open divisions in the dressing room.

A major catalyst for the fractured squad atmosphere was Mourinho’s handling of club captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Casillas spent a significant portion of the 2012-13 season on the bench, bringing a 25-year tenure and 725 appearances into a period of acute strain. Former Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira noted in the documentary coverage reported by BBC Sport that the rift involving Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, and other Spanish players turned the locker room into a nightmare.

Mourinho defended his uncompromising stance regarding player demands and squad discipline during his final months in Madrid. “The first three times that I spoke to Casillas, the captain, the first thing he told me was, ‘I want to ask for more holidays for the national team players’,” Mourinho recounted, according to BBC Sport.

Subsequent Impact on Manchester United

Following Mourinho’s decision to rejoin Chelsea—where he secured another league title and League Cup before his departure in December 2015—Manchester United appointed David Moyes to succeed Ferguson. Moyes lasted only 10 months in charge before dismissal.

United failed to capture another Premier League title in the years following Ferguson’s departure. Mourinho eventually arrived at Old Trafford in 2016, managing the club for two and a half years before his eventual exit, long after the initial 2013 agreement had dissolved.