Now Reading: Mourinho says he almost replaced Ferguson at Manchester United
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Mourinho says he almost replaced Ferguson at Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has confirmed he was close to replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, before he chose to return to Chelsea instead. Speaking in a Netflix documentary about…
The Story in Brief
Jose Mourinho has confirmed he was close to replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, before he chose to return to Chelsea instead. Speaking in a Netflix documentary about his career, the 63-year-old said he had agreed to take over at Old Trafford after leaving Real Madrid. Ferguson, who retired in 2013 after 26 years and 13 Premier League titles at United, said he offered Mourinho the job, and believed the Portuguese had accepted it. "Within hours, it changed," Ferguson added.
Mourinho, who won two Premier League titles with Chelsea in his first stint, said the lure of returning to the club proved too strong. He called the decision "dramatic" but said he does not regret it because he acted with his heart. He eventually managed United from 2016 to 2019, winning the UEFA Europa League. The 63-year-old is now in his second spell at Real Madrid, the outlet reports.
The Indian Opinion
Football fans love a what-if, and this Mourinho confession will be milked by those who think he was the one who got away. But the real story is not about a missed job, it is about a man who keeps rewriting his own history. Mourinho says he chose Chelsea with his heart, yet the timeline and Ferguson's account suggest it was a swift, almost impulsive turnaround. Watch what happens now: if his second Real Madrid spell dips, expect another documentary to surface, this time with a different excuse. The test is simple, will Mourinho ever finish a job he actually starts?
Sources (2): sportstar.thehindu.com, sports.ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
