Jose Mourinho reveals he signed deal to replace Alex Ferguson at Man Utd before Chelsea U-turn

Behind his major decision to turn down the Red Devils, emotional factors and his strong bond with Stamford Bridge proved to be the primary reasons for his sudden U-turn.

Disclosing the long-held secret in the Netflix documentary 'Mourinho', the coach stated: "I go to Chelsea in 2013 but in that period there is something nobody knows. 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.

"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 confirmed the sequence of events, recalling the moment Mourinho called to break the news: "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 going to break my word'. The reason he gave to me I could understand, but I was disappointed."

That emotional choice ultimately yielded a third Premier League title for Mourinho with Chelsea in the 2014-15 season, before he eventually took charge at United in 2016.

Reflecting on his dramatic career path, the former Benfica boss added: "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. 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."

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