Mourinho's 2013 U-Turn: I Signed to Replace Ferguson, Then Returned to Chelsea

José Mourinho has lifted the lid on one of the biggest could-have-beens in modern football: he signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, only to tear it up. In a confession backed by Ferguson himself in a new Netflix documentary, Mourinho admits he reneged on the deal and instead returned to Chelsea for a second spell at Stamford Bridge.

The confession

At the time, Mourinho was at a crossroads. He had spent three seasons at Real Madrid, where he delivered a La Liga title in 2012 and pushed the great Barcelona side of Pep Guardiola to the limit, but his relationship with the club's hierarchy had soured. A return to England was expected, and Manchester United looked like the perfect landing spot. Mourinho now says a contract was signed, sealing his place as the natural heir to Ferguson's throne.

But when the moment came to finalise the move, he backed out. According to his account, the decision was agonising enough to reduce him to tears. He chose Chelsea instead, the club where he had become the self-styled Special One between 2004 and 2007, winning two Premier League titles and forging a bond with supporters that never faded. Ferguson, who has confirmed the story in the documentary, reportedly admired Mourinho enormously, making the U-turn all the more striking.

United were left scrambling. Ferguson had ended his 26-year reign by lifting a 13th Premier League title, but the transition was mishandled from the start. David Moyes, the safe but uninspired choice from Everton, lasted less than a season, and United finished seventh in 2013-14, their lowest league position in decades. The club became a managerial revolving door, while across the city Manchester City, and later Liverpool, surged past them.

The Chelsea factor

Mourinho's return to Chelsea was greeted with fireworks, but his second spell was a mixed bag. He failed to win a trophy in 2013-14, then stormed to the Premier League title in 2014-15 with Eden Hazard at the peak of his powers. The following season unravelled spectacularly, with Mourinho sacked in December 2015 after a string of poor results. It was a stark reminder that even the brightest homecomings can turn sour.

The United thread, however, never fully disappeared. Mourinho was finally appointed at Old Trafford in 2016, taking over from Louis van Gaal. He won the Europa League and League Cup in his first season, but the football was often cautious, and his third season descended into the toxicity that has become all too familiar. He was sacked in December 2018, leaving behind an unhappy squad and an identity crisis that persists to this day.

What it means

The revelation adds a fascinating layer to both clubs' histories. For United, it reinforces the sense that Ferguson's retirement was the single most consequential event in their modern decline. For Mourinho, it offers a chance to rewrite his own story: not as a man who failed at United, but as the chosen heir who stepped aside, only to return later with diminished magic. The documentary is sure to spark fresh debate over whether Mourinho, handed the keys in 2013, could have sustained United's dominance. The question is unanswerable, but the confession ensures that the greatest what-if in English football will not be forgotten.