Jose Mourinho, the head coach of Real Madrid, revealed a secret that he had agreed to manage Manchester United following Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, before explaining the reason why he ultimately broke the deal.
On 11 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese manager of Real Madrid, the prominent La Liga team, revealed a secret: he once agreed to manage Manchester United as the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Scottish manager, back in 2013. He also explained why he eventually broke that agreement.
Mourinho disclosed this in the Netflix documentary MOURINHO, stating that at the end of the 2012-13 season, he was offered the Manchester United managerial position to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson. Initially, he had accepted the offer but reversed his decision within less than 24 hours to return to his former club, Chelsea.
Mourinho said, "This is true. When I left Real Madrid in 2013, I agreed to go and manage Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson. But I let that opportunity go. I do not regret it because it was a decision that came from my heart, as I had made a promise to them."