Jose Mourinho said he agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013 [1].
The revelation sheds new light on one of the most pivotal managerial transitions in Premier League history. It suggests that the club's long-term instability following Ferguson's retirement might have been avoided had the agreement proceeded.
According to Mourinho, he had reached an agreement to take over at Old Trafford in 2013 [1]. However, he said he withdrew from the arrangement after receiving a tear-filled phone call from Ferguson. Following this interaction, Mourinho chose to return to Chelsea instead [1].
Reports regarding the formality of the agreement vary. Some sources indicate that Mourinho signed a contract to replace Ferguson in 2013, while other reports suggest he merely agreed to the move but pulled out at the last minute [1].
In the actual events of 2013, David Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager of Manchester United [1]. Moyes' tenure was brief and marked by a struggle to maintain the dominance established by his predecessor. Mourinho eventually did manage Manchester United years later, but the 2013 opportunity remained a missed connection until these recent comments.
The timing of the withdrawal meant that Mourinho's path led back to Stamford Bridge. This move solidified his second stint with Chelsea, while Manchester United began a period of managerial turnover that lasted for several seasons.
“Mourinho said he agreed to replace Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013.”
This claim suggests that Manchester United's decade of instability after the Ferguson era was not inevitable. Had Mourinho taken over in 2013, the club would have bypassed the David Moyes era and potentially avoided the subsequent cycle of hiring and firing high-profile managers in an attempt to recapture the success of the 1990s and 2000s.
