Jose Mourinho has finally revealed the full story behind one of football's great managerial "what ifs": the Portuguese had agreed to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013 before changing his mind and returning to Chelsea!And the reason was not money, ambition or fear of the challenge, but – love.Mourinho, now back at Real Madrid for a second spell, made the revelation in a new Netflix documentary about his career, confirming that he had already committed to taking over at Old Trafford after Ferguson's retirement."When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex," Mourinho said.“You don’t do a documentary with a guy that wins nothing.”MOURINHO, a new three-part documentary series, comes to Netflix 11 August. pic.twitter.com/rzXNlT8HvD— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) July 13, 2026 Ferguson confirmed the extraordinary sequence of events, recalling that he had personally sat down with Mourinho and believed the deal was done."He was offered the job, yes," Ferguson said. "I sat him down and explained the situation. As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed."The man who changed Mourinho's mind was Mou himself.The Portuguese had won two Premier League titles during his first spell at Chelsea and could not bring himself to turn down the chance to return to Stamford Bridge.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883859##Ferguson remembers the moment vividly."One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says, 'Alex, I can't take it. I've given my word to Chelsea and I'm not going to break my word'," the Scot revealed."The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed."Mourinho, however, does not regret the decision.Mou slams Bernardo Silva after his Real Madrid debut: "Poor guy did nothing on holiday"He admitted that being offered the opportunity to replace one of the greatest managers in football history was deeply flattering, but explained that his emotional connection with Chelsea ultimately proved stronger."I was very flattered to be offered the job because Manchester United has an incredible appeal," Mourinho said."But one thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club."I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid, I needed to feel that I'm loved."For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don't regret it because it was a decision that I made with my heart."##EDITORS_CHOICE##Mourinho returned to Chelsea in 2013 and delivered another Premier League title and a League Cup before eventually getting the chance to manage Manchester United after all.He took over at Old Trafford in 2016, succeeding Louis van Gaal, and won the League Cup and Europa League during his two-and-a-half-year spell before being dismissed in December 2018.