Mourinho: I signed a contract to succeed Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013

José Mourinho has revealed that he signed a contract in 2013 to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, but stepped back from the decision in tears a few hours later to return to Chelsea. Ferguson announced his retirement in May 2013 after securing his 13th Premier League title, ending an era of unprecedented dominance at Old Trafford. Manchester United have not returned to the summit of English football since Ferguson's departure, and his successor, David Moyes, was sacked after just 10 months in charge. Mourinho, who eventually took charge at Manchester United in 2016 and stayed for two and a half years, stated in a new Netflix documentary titled 'Mourinho' that he had agreed to go directly to United after leaving Real Madrid. In the documentary, he said: "When I left Real Madrid, I signed a contract with Manchester United to go there after Sir Alex." Mourinho added that he was delighted by the club's offer, but ultimately decided to honour his commitment to Chelsea. Mourinho said: "He called me and was crying. He said: 'Alex, I cannot do it; I have given my word to Chelsea.'" He explained that after his time at Real Madrid he needed to feel wanted, and his relationship with Chelsea played a significant role in his final decision. Ferguson, who is among the interviewees in the documentary, said he believed Mourinho had accepted Manchester United's offer, but the situation changed within hours. Ferguson said: "He called me early in the evening and was crying, saying I have given my word to Chelsea and I am not going to break my word. I could understand the reason, but I was disappointed." During his first spell at Chelsea, Mourinho led the club to two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups. After leaving Real Madrid, he reached an agreement with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and returned to Stamford Bridge; his second spell yielded another Premier League title and a League Cup, but ended with his dismissal in December 2015. Mourinho, who is now the manager of Real Madrid once again, said missing out on the opportunity to succeed Ferguson was "dramatic", but he does not regret his decision. He added: "It was a decision I made with my heart. When you do something out of love, I do not feel you have done something wrong. I went back to Chelsea with the feeling that I was going home, but I had a huge responsibility because I did not want to destroy my previous legacy."