Sir Alex Ferguson: 'Mourinho cried when he called me and said...'

The story behind why Jose Mourinho did not become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United has just come to light. Significantly, Mourinho personally phoned the Scottish icon while crying to discuss the choice that led to the collapse of the agreement.

After Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement in 2013, Manchester United needed to find a successor to the legendary manager following his 26-year tenure at the club. David Moyes, then Everton’s manager, was ultimately chosen and was given the nickname "The Chosen One." However, there is a special detail behind this selection involving Mourinho.

In a new documentary about his career, released on Netflix from August 11th, Mourinho revealed that he had once agreed to take over Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson. The Portuguese tactician had even had direct discussions with Ferguson before an emotional phone call changed everything.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United, confirmed that Mourinho had been "offered the job." "I sat down with him and explained the situation. In my view, he agreed. But just a few hours later, everything changed," Sir Alex Ferguson recalled. The reason was that Mourinho did not want to turn down the opportunity to return to Chelsea.

Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that the call remains a vivid memory. "One night, he called me, crying, and said: 'Alex, I can't do otherwise. I promised Chelsea, and I won't break my promise.'" Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he could understand Mourinho's reasoning, but he still felt disappointed that the succession deal did not go through.

Mourinho later explained that he was "very honored" to be given the chance to lead Manchester United because "Manchester United has an incredible allure." However, he distinguished between love for football and love for a club. "I think that is stronger than love for football, and basically, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I was loved."

Missing the chance to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson did not make Mourinho regretful. "For me, losing the opportunity to become the manager to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was very painful. But I have no regrets, because it was a decision I made with my heart." Returning to Chelsea in 2013, Mourinho won his third Premier League title and the League Cup, while Moyes lasted only 10 months at Old Trafford.

In 2016, Mourinho finally arrived at Manchester United after Louis van Gaal departed. He spent two and a half years at Old Trafford, winning the League Cup and the Europa League before being sacked in December 2018 following a poor run of results. Mourinho later returned to Real Madrid in June of this year, where his previous tenure had ended in tension with Iker Casillas and some players.

Alongside the story with Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho also shared about the difficulties with Roman Abramovich, the former Chelsea owner, who hired and fired him twice. Nevertheless, the tearful call to Ferguson remains one of the most notable stories about the opportunity Mourinho once missed at Manchester United.