Jose Mourinho has revealed he signed a contract to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013 only to tearfully renege on the deal and return to Chelsea.

The football world was rocked when the Scottish great announced he was retiring having overseen a 13th Premier League title triumph win during a spell of unrivalled dominance at Old Trafford.

United have failed to return to the top of the English game since Ferguson stepped down, with successor David Moyes sacked after only 10 months in charge.

Mourinho was later brought in, spending two and a half years in charge from 2016, but revealed in a new Netflix documentary about his life that he had agreed to come earlier.

“I go to Chelsea in 2013 but in that period there is something nobody knows,” the Portuguese said in ‘Mourinho’.

“I think I can say because I don’t hurt anyone with the truth, and I think the objective of this work that we are doing is to tell the truth.

“When I left Real Madrid, I signed with Manchester United to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex.”

Mourinho continued: “I was, of course, very flattered, because Manchester United has an incredible appeal.

“When I say Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, I have to say that Manchester United is very, very close.

“But one thing is love for football, and 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.”

Ferguson was one of the footballing figures interviewed for the new documentary and admits he was under the illusion Mourinho was accepting the offer, only for the situation to change in a matter of hours.

“Early evening he phoned me and he was crying,” the United great said. “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 reason he gave to me I could understand, but I was disappointed.”

Mourinho had a strong bond with Chelsea after leading them to two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups during an unforgettable first spell.

The Portuguese parked differences with owner Roman Abramovich to return to Stamford Bridge after leaving Real Madrid, winning another league crown and League Cup before being sacked in December 2015.

“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret because it was a decision that I made with my heart,” Mourinho, now back in charge of Real Madrid, said.

“And I think it is nature that says something that when you do something for love, you are never doing anything wrong. I think it’s nature. I did it for love.

“I went back with the feeling of, yes, I go home, but with big responsibility because what I did before is history, and you don’t want to destroy your legacy.”

PA

Manchester United are looking to bring in a new left-back this summer

Manchester United have been linked with a £30m move for Club Brugge defender Joaquin Seys following on from Newcastle United’s hardline stance to keep Lewis Hall this summer. The Reds reportedly had an initial enquiry for Hall knocked back by the Magpies, who have reiterated the left-back is not for sale.

Newcastle have already sold Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali and can’t afford to lose any more key players as they prepare for life under new boss Matthias Jaissle. As a result, Man United will reportedly turn their attention to Seys as an alternative to the England international.

That’s according to the Sun, who say United, along with Arsenal and the Magpies, are keen on signing the Belgian international this summer.

The report claims United will have competition from Aston Villa and Portuguese giants Benfica and Porto, should they move to sign the left-back, who caught the eye for his country at this summer’s World Cup.

It adds that Michael Carrick’s side, Arsenal and Villa have all enquired about the Club Brugge star following extensive scouting missions.

The defender has three years remaining on his current contract, with Brugge in no rush to sell the rising star.

However, the £30m asking price reportedly won’t put Manchester United off, with the club looking to address their long-standing issues at full-back this summer.

The club are looking for a successor to Luke Shaw, though United are also looking to strengthen other areas of the pitch ahead of a return to the Champions League.

Arsenal have reportedly scouted Seys, with Mikel Arteta given a detailed report on the player.

Aston Villa are looking for a replacement for Lucas Digne, who has returned to PSG, leaving Emery with somewhat of a void at left-back.

Like United, Villa will be playing in the Champions League next season and want to add more quality to their ranks for that competition.

The biggest stars in European athletics head to Birmingham this week for the 2026 European Athletics Championships with continental titles and in some cases world records on the line, just a week after the close of the Commonwealth Games.

A world-class field is headlined by the likes of Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, who has endured a stop-start season and faces fierce competition in what should be an electrifying 800m event, with Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, the fastest woman in the world this year, and Femke Broeders-Bol – stepping up from her usual 400m hurdles – also on the startlist.

Hodgkinson’s training partner and new Commonwealth Games 800m champion Georgia Hunter Bell is in action but only in the 1,500m, while reigning European 100m champion Dina Asher-Smith is back to defend her title alongside another British hope in world 200m silver medallist Amy Hunt.

In total, 10 reigning world champions will be in action, including legendary pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, while Norway’s Olympic 5,000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will make his long-awaited return from injury having not competed at all in 2026.

Here’s everything you need to know.

When are the European Athletics Championships?

The European Athletics Championships take place in Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium from 10-16 August, the first time they have been held in the UK.

How can I watch it?

The European Athletics Championships will be broadcast live on the BBC and BBC iPlayer. Coverage begins on 10 August on BBC Two from 10.30am.

European Athletics Championships 2026 schedule

All times BST

Monday 10 August

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Tuesday 11 August

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Wednesday 12 August

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Thursday 13 August

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Friday 14 August

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Saturday 15 August

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Sunday 16 August

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Sporting platforms do not just produce gruelling contests; they also generate off-the-field stories that are revered for decades. One such story was shared by Indian boxer Narender Berwal, who returned from the Commonwealth Games with a silver medal. During a felicitation ceremony at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, Berwal shared an anecdote from 2015, when he fought a boxer from Pakistan in the World Military Games. After Berwal won the match, he engaged in a hilarious conversation with his Pakistani opponent. As he recounted the exchange, even PM Modi was left in splits.

Political relations between India and Pakistan have been tense for decades. Narrating the story, Berwal revealed how he was cautioned by the Indian military not to lose against his opponent, given the ongoing border conflicts between the two nations.

“Since we were talking about Pakistan, a story came to my mind, sir. It was the 2015 World Military Games, and my first fight was scheduled against a boxer from Pakistan. Because it was the Military Games, I received calls from officials telling me, ‘You must not lose to Pakistan,’” he revealed.

Berwal went on to win the bout, but both fighters suffered facial cuts, which led to them visiting a hospital together.

“I won the first round 4-1 and the second round 3-2, but both of us got cuts. I won the fight, and afterwards, we both went to the hospital to get stitches.”

Berwal continued: “In 2014, you [referring to PM Modi] became the Prime Minister for the first time. The army coach who was with us was named Narendra Rana. The Pakistani boxer thought about it for a while and then said to me, ‘Brother, can I say something?’ I said, ‘Yes, go ahead.’”

#WATCH | “Pakistani boxer said to me ‘Aapka naam Narender hai, aapke coach ka naam Narender hai, aapke Pradhan Mantri ka naam Narendra hai. Mujhe Narendra naam se nafrat ho gayi hai’…” says Heavyweight boxer and silver medallist Narender Berwal narrating his conversation with a… pic.twitter.com/qvmwO5D2sz

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— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2026

The Pakistani boxer then remarked: “Aapka naam Narender hai, aapke coach ka naam Narender hai, aapke Pradhan Mantri ka naam Narendra hai. Mujhe Narendra naam se nafrat ho gayi hai” (“Your name is Narender, your coach’s name is Narender, and your Prime Minister’s name is Narendra. I have started to hate the name Narendra”). As Berwal shared the story, PM Modi could not hold back his laughter.

At his residence, PM Modi held one-on-one conversations with several athletes, lauding their contributions to taking India’s sporting journey to new heights.

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Yamal Laughs At Paredes vs Gavi ‘Fight Of The Year’ Poster During Parade

In football, Monaco pulled off an upset against Liverpool in a pre-season friendly, whilst Marseille beat Bilbao. Manchester City beat Atlético Madrid, whilst Arsenal lost to Dortmund. In tennis, Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Cincinnati tournament.

CM Punk is one of the most popular stars in WWE. While the fans love him, some members of the roster are not so fond of the Second City Saint. One such star is former Intercontinental Champion, ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio.

During a recent Meet & Greet ahead of the SummerSlam Premium Live Event, the self-proclaimed King of the Luchadors was seen demanding a kid stop wearing any Punk merchandise. Mysterio said that if the kid wants to come and get an autograph from him, then the young fan should not be wearing any Punk merchandise.

“Hey man! I know you got me to sign this ‘Dirty Dom’ card, but you got to get into a different shirt. No more. You can’t come up to me with those CM Punk merch on. Alright? Anything… I’ll take Penta, anything else, but CM Punk. You promise me on that.” Dominik Mysterio said.

Dominik Mysterio still gave the kid an autograph, but he made the young fan to promise that next time he would not be wearing any Punk merchandise during the next Meet & Greet.

When Will CM Punk Defend His WWE Undisputed Title?

A couple of weeks ago, on Night 1 of the SummerSlam Premium Live Event, the Second City Saint managed to retain his championship against the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.

The following night, a new number one contender for Punk’s title was determined. It was none other than a returning Kevin Owens. On the following episode of SmackDown, Owens confronted the Second City Saint and promised that he would be the one to dethrone Punk.

Following the war of words, Kevin Owens ran into SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis backstage and named the date and place when he wanted to challenge CM Punk for the Undisputed title. Owens demanded that he wanted to wrestle the self-proclaimed Best in the World in his home country, Canada.

WWE is prepping for its Canada tour, and as part of that tour, an episode of SmackDown is set to take place in Toronto, Canada. It will take place on the 21st of August. Thus, Owens will be challenging Punk on that episode of SmackDown.

Do you think Kevin Owens can dethrone Punk?