Jose Mourinho called Sir Alex Ferguson in tears as he went back on Man United agreement

Jose Mourinho’s new Netflix documentary delivered a bombshell regarding one awkward conversation with Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed how Jose Mourinho cried on the phone to him after confirming he wouldn’t be able to replace him as Manchester United manager. ‘The Special One’ had initially agreed to take the Old Trafford gig when Ferguson retired in 2013 before a sudden U-turn.

At the time, Mourinho was on his way out of Real Madrid following a calamitous third season at the club. Five years after leaving Chelsea for the first time, the Portuguese tactician was suddenly back on the market just as his old Premier League rival was calling time on his 27-year stay at United.

Speaking on Netflix’s new ‘Mourinho’ documentary, which airs on Tuesday (August 11), Ferguson addressed Mourinho’s emotional call after reneging on their agreement.

“He was offered the job, yes,” said the United great. “I sat him down and explained the situation and, as far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, had changed.”

Mourinho was long tipped as a potential candidate to succeed Ferguson when his time at United was up. However, after feeling ‘betrayed’ by certain players at Real and hounded out of the Bernabeu, he felt his needs were better met with a return to Stamford Bridge.

“I was, of course, very flattered, because Man United has an incredible appeal,” said Mourinho. “When I say Real Madrid is the biggest club in the world, I have to say that Man 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 I am loved.”

Despite previously falling out with then-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, The Special One was convinced his immediate future lay back at Stamford Bridge. However, that didn’t make it any easier to break the news to a man he holds in the highest regard.

Ferguson said: “Early evening, 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 gonna break my word’. The reason he gave to me, I could understand. But I was disappointed.”

United ended up hiring David Moyes as Ferguson’s heir in what turned out to be a dismal 10-month tenure. Louis van Gaal then picked up the reins and won the FA Cup in the second half of his two-season stint before Mourinho finally came aboard.

“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was…dramatic,” Mourinho continued. “But I don’t regret [it], because it was a decision I made with my heart.

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“I think it’s [philosopher Friedrich] Nietzsche [who said] that when you do something for something you love, it is never wrong.”

Mourinho rejoined Chelsea just two weeks after it was announced he was leaving Real by mutual consent. It wasn’t the same success story as his first stint in west London, though he did win a Premier League and EFL Cup double with the Blues in 2015.

By the time he arrived at Old Trafford in 2016, the wheels of motion Sir Alex had put in place at United had already come loose. Yet despite the shortcomings of the new regime, Mourinho went on to win both the Europa League and a League Cup with United in his first season.

The dreaded ‘third-season curse’ unfortunately struck yet again as Mourinho was relieved of his duties in December 2018. Many fans may wonder if the club’s recent history might have turned out differently had he taken the reins as agreed when Ferguson left in 2013, rather than attempting to glue back together the pieces of a puzzle that was already falling apart.

The Special One opens yet another exciting new chapter in his history as he returns to Real 13 years after his acrimonious departure. The move could put him on a collision course with United in this season’s Champions League, where Michael Carrick would be tasked with overcoming his old mentor.