Jose Mourinho was close to replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United in 2013 when the latter announced his retirement, he confirmed.
The Portuguese coach said he had almost agreed to take over the 13-time Premier League champion before he headed back to Chelsea, where he had won two Premier League titles.
“When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex,” Mourinho said in a Netflix documentary about his career.
The 63-year-old explained that the lure of returning to the club where he won the title in 2005 and 2006 proved to be too strong. Mourinho went on to win a third title with the Blues in his second stint, in 2014-15.
“He was offered the job, yes,” confirmed Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles over 26 years at Old Trafford before retiring in 2013.
“I sat him down and explained the situation,” he added. “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”
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“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,” Mourinho said.
He eventually went on to manage the Red Devils between 2016 and 2019, during which time he led them to the UEFA Europa League trophy. He is now back for a second spell at Real Madrid.
Published on Aug 10, 2026