Mourinho says he agreed to replace Ferguson at Man Utd

What the report says

Jose Mourinho has said in a new Netflix documentary series that he had agreed to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, before reversing the decision and returning to Chelsea. BBC Sport reports that Ferguson also confirmed he had offered Mourinho the job, and that the former Real Madrid coach later called to say he could not break his promise to Chelsea.

The account sheds light on one of the most discussed succession moments in modern Premier League history. Ferguson retired after 26 years and 13 league titles at Old Trafford, and David Moyes ultimately took the role. Mourinho said he was flattered by the offer from Manchester United, but felt a stronger pull toward Chelsea, where he had already won league titles earlier in his career.

According to BBC Sport, Mourinho later did eventually become United manager in 2016, after Louis van Gaal, and won the League Cup and Europa League before leaving in 2018. The documentary also revisits Mourinho’s career relationships with clubs and figures including Real Madrid, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Those wider reflections help frame the new comments as part of a retrospective on Mourinho’s career rather than a new development in the football market.