Mourinho confirms 2013 United deal fell through for Chelsea return
Sir Alex Ferguson corroborates initial agreement, while former Real Madrid figures detail lingering tensions from Mourinho’s previous tenure.
Jose Mourinho has confirmed that he initially agreed to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, but ultimately withdrew from the deal to return to Chelsea. The revelation comes from a new Netflix documentary series examining his career, in which the 63-year-old coach stated he signed an agreement to take the Old Trafford post immediately after leaving Real Madrid.
Ferguson, who retired in 2013 after 26 years at the helm, corroborated the initial arrangement. He told the documentary that he sat Mourinho down to explain the situation and believed the deal was accepted. However, Ferguson noted that the agreement changed within hours after Mourinho called him in distress, explaining that he could not break his word to Chelsea.
Mourinho described the decision to reject United as one made "with my heart," citing a need to feel loved by a club following his departure from the Spanish capital. He stated that while Manchester United held an incredible appeal, his loyalty to Chelsea, where he had won consecutive Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, took precedence.
The documentary also revisits Mourinho’s contentious period at Real Madrid, including a rift with former captain Iker Casillas. Casillas described their relationship as "very cold" and stated that the "rope broke," while former midfielder Sami Khedira claimed the discord created a "nightmare" in the locker room, affecting relationships with key players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos.
Mourinho alleged that Casillas had a "bad attitude," citing requests for additional holidays for national team players and later training sessions due to traffic. He further claimed that former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich interfered in transfers, specifically pushing for the signing of Andriy Shevchenko, whom he did not want. Mourinho stated he sought "revenge" against Abramovich when Inter Milan defeated Chelsea in the 2010 Champions League.
Mourinho later joined Manchester United in 2016, succeeding Louis van Gaal. He won the League Cup and Europa League titles during his two-and-a-half-year spell before being sacked in December 2018. He returned to Real Madrid in May this year for a second spell as manager.
