Jose Mourinho ‘snubbed the chance’ to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013

Meeting took place in vehicle with darkened windows outside the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid before derby

JOSE MOURINHO snubbed the chance to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager in 2013, according to a sensational new report.

The Daily Mail have claimed that United vice-chairman Ed Woodward even flew to Madrid in hopes of persuading Mourinho to take the Old Trafford hotseat.

Woodwood, however, was left disappointed when Mourinho told him that he would be returning to Stamford Bridge to manage Chelsea.

United would then turn to Everton boss David Moyes instead, with the Scot gaining the nickname of ‘The Chosen One’ with many believing he was handpicked to replace Fergie.

The Mail report continues that this was not the case, with Mourinho United’s first choice to take the reigns.

The report adds that the meeting between the ‘Special One’ and Woodward took place in a vehicle with darkened windows outside the Vicente Calderon, where Mourinho’s Real were taking on rivals Atletico Madrid.

Now Sunderland boss, Moyes’s turbulent tenure at United lasted less than 10 months, with the then-champions languishing in seventh place in the league, having failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995.