Mourinho reveals he tearfully gave up succeeding Ferguson! Explains why he rejected Manchester United, already agreed to return to Chelsea

In an upcoming documentary this week, Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese manager, revealed that he could have taken over from Ferguson in 2013, but United's tardiness forced him to reject the offer with tears, fulfilling his commitment to Chelsea.

As is well known, at the end of the 2012/13 season, after his wife Cathy's sister passed away, Ferguson decided to retire to accompany his wife, feeling lonely. The old manager left after winning his 13th Premier League title, and his successor David Moyes was sacked after just 10 months, leading United into a long period of decline.

Moyes was dubbed "The Chosen One," meaning he was Ferguson's designated successor. However, in reality, the Scotsman was not United's first choice. Mourinho confirmed in the Netflix documentary that he had agreed to take over United, being Ferguson's top pick.

Mourinho did eventually manage United, but that was after 2016. He led the team for two and a half years, winning the League Cup and Europa League, finishing runner-up in the Premier League and FA Cup, but was sacked in 2018 after falling out with the Glazer family and their executive Ed Woodward.

However, if fate had not intervened, "Mourinho" might have managed United much earlier, and the club's destiny could have been very different. "I returned to Chelsea in 2013, but what happened before that, no one knew," Mourinho said in his documentary. "I think it can be made public now because telling the truth won't hurt anyone. Making a documentary is naturally about revealing the truth."

Mourinho recalled: "After leaving Real Madrid, I agreed to sign for United and follow in Sir Alex Ferguson's footsteps. Of course I felt very honored because United has a huge appeal. Although I would say Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, I have to admit that Manchester United is very, very close to that status."

Explaining why he ultimately didn't join United, Mourinho said: "Loving football is one thing, loving a club is another. I believe that love for a specific club is more powerful than love for football itself. After leaving Real Madrid, I needed to feel loved."

Ferguson himself appeared in the documentary, admitting that he initially thought Mourinho would take over as United manager, but within hours the situation changed. "In the evening, Jose called me, and he was crying. He said: 'Alex, I can't go to United. I've made a promise to Chelsea, and I can't go back on it.'" Ferguson recalled, "The reasons he gave me, I understand, but I was disappointed."

Mourinho naturally has deep feelings for Chelsea. He first managed the Blues from 2004 to 2007, leading the team to two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and two League Cups. At that time, Chelsea was considered a tough, defensively solid and offensively sharp team, setting an astonishing record of conceding only 15 goals in 38 Premier League matches in a single season, a record that still stands unbroken.

However, in the summer of 2006, owner Roman Abramovich went against Mourinho's wishes by signing stars like Shevchenko and Ballack, allowing Ferguson's United to seize the opportunity to revive, leading to Mourinho's dismissal. After returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013, Mourinho again led the team to league and League Cup titles, but was sacked again in December 2015. Six months later, he succeeded Van Gaal and finally became United manager, but by then the team was different from when Ferguson retired.

"For me, losing the chance to succeed Ferguson at Manchester United was certainly a sad thing. But I don't regret it because it was a decision I made from the heart." Now Mourinho might be using this past story to explain his mindset for his second stint at Real Madrid.

Mourinho added: "I think when you do something out of love, you are never wrong; it's natural. I believe it's following nature. I did it out of love. When I went back, I thought: Yes, I'm home, but I also carry a great responsibility because everything I've done before is history, and you don't want to destroy your own legacy."