&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Special One' Jose Mourinho admits he almost joined Manchester United in 2013")
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho once came agonisingly close to replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, he revealed. The ‘Special One’ instead said yes to Chelsea, the club he helped lift two successive titles in his first run years ago. The then-Everton manager David Moyes replaced Ferguson, who managed the club for 26 years and won 13 Premier League trophies, while Mourinho turned down a Man Utd offer to return to Stamford Bridge, as he had given them his word.
Speaking on a Netflix documentary releasing on August 11, Mourinho revealed, "When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex.”
Sir Alex also confirmed the same, saying, "I sat him down and explained the situation. As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed."
"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.'
"The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed,” Sir Alex added.
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‘Love for Football is Different from Love for Club’
Mourinho explained further what happened behind the scenes, adding that love for football is different from love for a club. While United’s offer was expectedly appealing for its rich history, Mourinho said he never regretted turning it down as that decision came from his heart.
"But one thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club," Mourinho explained. "I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I'm loved.
"For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don't regret [it] because it was a decision that I made with my heart,” he continued.
What happened next was no less than cinema. While Mourinho helped Chelsea win its third PL the next season as well as the League Cup, United sacked Moyes 10 months into the job.
Mourinho, however, later joined United in 2016, succeeding Louis Van Gaal. At Old Trafford, he won the League Cup and Europa League titles before suffering a similar fate in 2018 following a slump in results.
