A fresh Netflix documentary centering on the Portuguese tactician has disclosed that José Mourinho was poised to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, prior to a change of heart that saw him return to Chelsea instead.
Created by Ventureland—the production house behind the highly praised documentaries “Beckham” and “FIFA Uncovered”—the three-part docuseries, titled “Mourinho,” chronicles the incredibly successful yet highly contentious career of the manager.
Set for release on Tuesday, the documentary arrives just as Mourinho readies himself for a second tenure in charge of Real Madrid, having made his return to the club this summer.
A large part of the series focuses on his initial period at the Bernabéu, during which he managed to disrupt the supremacy of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. However, by the conclusion of his three years with the Spanish giants, his rapport with most of the players had collapsed, and he found himself locked in a bitter dispute with team captain Iker Casillas.
Real Madrid ended that campaign trophyless, prompting Mourinho to exit the club in the summer of 2013. In the documentary, he discloses that his next destination was supposed to be Manchester United.
“In my view, the purpose of this project we’ve put together is to reveal the truth. After departing Real Madrid, I actually committed to Manchester United, signing to take over once Sir Alex stepped down,” Mourinho explained.
Ferguson had made public his intention to retire as Manchester United manager at the conclusion of the 2012-13 campaign, bringing his legendary 26-year reign at the club to a close.
“Yes, [Mourinho] was presented with the position. I had a sit-down with him to map out the scenario. From my perspective, he was taking the job. But just a few hours later, things took a different turn,” Ferguson notes in the series.
While Mourinho acknowledged feeling deeply honored by the proposition, he ultimately opted to head back to Chelsea because he felt a strong need to be appreciated following a highly taxing period in Madrid.
“He called me that evening in tears, saying, ‘I just can’t do it, I’ve already committed to Chelsea, and I cannot go back on my promise,'” Ferguson recalled.
“I could comprehend his reasoning, but it still left me feeling let down.”
Looking back on his choice to decline United, Mourinho remarked: “Missing out on the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Sir Alex Ferguson was a major blow. Even so, I have no regrets because I followed my heart. I believe it was Nietzsche who wrote that actions taken out of love are never wrong. That feels like human nature. It was an act of love.
“I returned with the comfort of going back home, though it came with immense pressure. My past achievements there were historic, and the last thing you want to do is ruin your own legacy.”
In his initial tenure, Mourinho played a pivotal role in breaking Chelsea’s half-century championship drought by delivering the Premier League title in 2004, a feat the club repeated under his guidance the very next season.
During his second run with Chelsea, he secured another league championship in the 2014-15 season. Following a disastrous start to the 2016-17 campaign, owner Roman Abramovich dismissed him for the second time.
Mourinho eventually took the reins at Manchester United in 2016, capturing both the Europa League and the League Cup over the course of his two-and-a-half-year stay at Old Trafford.
