Mourinho’s near appointment in 2013
Jose Mourinho reportedly signed a contract to become Manchester United manager in 2013, succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson, but ultimately chose to return to Chelsea. This revelation comes from a new documentary series about Mourinho’s career. Ferguson himself confirmed that Mourinho contacted him, expressing that he could not break his word to Chelsea.
According to reports, the process to secure Mourinho’s services had been ongoing for weeks, with meetings held in Madrid and London. Ferguson informed Mourinho of his intention to step down at the end of the 2012-13 season, and negotiations quickly moved to terms, with an agreement initially reached. However, the decision was reversed rapidly, within days.
Mourinho cited family reasons for his choice to return to London, where he has a family home. He had also previously promised to return to Chelsea after his initial departure in 2007. His positive relationship with former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is also believed to have influenced his decision.
Impact of the decision
The failure to secure Mourinho in 2013 is considered a significant turning point in Manchester United’s history. At the time, Ferguson was leaving alongside highly respected chief executive David Gill. Mourinho was seen as having the necessary experience to manage this transition and help introduce a new club structure, as Ferguson had controlled many aspects of the playing side.
With Mourinho out of contention and Pep Guardiola committed to Bayern Munich, United appointed David Moyes. While Moyes shared some managerial traits with Ferguson, he had not operated at the same elite level. United announced Moyes as ‘The Chosen One’, but his tenure lasted only 10 months.
Many believe Mourinho would have had a greater impact if he had directly followed Ferguson. His personality suggested he would have embraced the challenge of succeeding Ferguson with confidence. Unlike the hesitation seen in the transfer market under Moyes, it is thought Mourinho would have been decisive in executing deals.
For instance, the agreed move for Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona would have been completed under Mourinho. Additionally, the club might have avoided issues surrounding Marouane Fellaini’s transfer, who joined for £27.5m on deadline day after a lower release fee was missed. It is suggested Fellaini would not have been signed under Mourinho.
Mourinho had provided United with his views on several players, including Italy midfielder Daniele de Rossi. The general feeling is that Mourinho would not only have signed his preferred players but also extracted more from the experienced players already in the squad. The squad’s performance significantly declined to seventh place after Ferguson’s departure, a dramatic and unexpected drop.
Mourinho’s later tenure
Mourinho eventually became Manchester United manager in 2016, replacing Louis van Gaal. However, the club environment had changed considerably since 2013. Of the 18 players who started 10 or more Premier League games in the 2012-13 title-winning campaign, only six remained as regular starters in Mourinho’s first season. These included David de Gea, Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, and Antonio Valencia.
Mourinho himself had also evolved as a manager. He had won a title in his second stint at Chelsea but left the club in December 2015 when they were 16th in the table, one point above the relegation zone. During his time at United from 2016, he won the Europa League and EFL Cup in his first season, and qualified for the Champions League twice. He described finishing second, 19 points behind champions Manchester City, as one of his ‘best achievements’. United’s 81 points that season remains their highest total in a post-Ferguson Premier League campaign.
Despite these successes, Mourinho reportedly had disagreements with players, including record signing Paul Pogba, and accused the club’s hierarchy of not supporting him regarding striker Anthony Martial, whom he wished to sell. Ferguson recounted Mourinho’s tears in the documentary as he explained his decision not to join United in 2013.
Source: bbc.co.uk