🚨 Sir Alex Ferguson Reveals José Mourinho Was Set to Take Over Manchester United in 2013

Manchester United could have had a very different post-Sir Alex Ferguson story if José Mourinho had followed through on an agreement to become the club’s next manager in 2013.

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he believed José Mourinho had agreed to take over at Manchester United when Ferguson decided to retire at the end of the 2012/13 season.

However, according to Ferguson, everything changed following an emotional phone call from Mourinho.

Speaking in the Mourinho documentary, Ferguson recalled receiving a call from the Portuguese manager one evening.

«“Early evening he phoned me and he was crying.”»

Ferguson then explained what Mourinho told him:

«“Alex, I can’t take it – I’ve given my word to Chelsea, and I’m not going to break my word.”»

The decision reportedly disappointed Ferguson, although he understood Mourinho’s reasoning.

«“The reason he gave to me I could understand, but I was disappointed.”»

🔴 What could have happened at Manchester United?

The revelation adds another fascinating chapter to Manchester United’s managerial history.

When Ferguson retired in 2013, the club eventually appointed David Moyes as his successor. Moyes struggled to reproduce Ferguson’s success and was dismissed after less than a full season.

Mourinho, meanwhile, returned to Chelsea and guided the club to the Premier League title in the 2014/15 campaign.

It leaves United supporters wondering what might have happened if Mourinho had accepted Ferguson’s apparent offer in 2013.

Would United have remained dominant in the Premier League?

Could Mourinho have maintained Ferguson’s winning culture?

And perhaps most importantly, would Manchester United’s turbulent managerial period after Ferguson have been avoided?

😮 Mourinho eventually got the United job

Ironically, Mourinho would eventually become Manchester United manager in 2016.

By then, however, the club had already gone through the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal eras.

Mourinho won the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield during his time at Old Trafford and finished second in the Premier League in the 2017/18 season.

But his tenure ultimately ended in December 2018.

The latest revelation therefore makes Mourinho’s Manchester United story even more intriguing.

He wasn’t simply a manager who eventually arrived at Old Trafford — according to Ferguson, he could have been Ferguson’s immediate successor three years earlier.

🗣️ Ferguson’s disappointment

Ferguson’s comments also show how seriously he viewed the potential appointment.

Mourinho’s decision to honour his word to Chelsea was something Ferguson could respect, but that did not prevent him from feeling disappointed.

For Manchester United fans, it remains one of football’s biggest “what if?” moments.

Ferguson retired as one of the greatest managers in football history, but the identity of his successor was always going to have enormous consequences.

And if Mourinho had said yes in 2013, the history of Manchester United — and perhaps the Premier League itself — could have looked completely different. 🔴