Louis van Gaal explained

Louis van Gaal
Fullname:Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal[1]
Birth Date:8 August 1951[2]
Birth Place:Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height:1.85 m[3]
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Ajax (advisor)
Youthclubs1:RKSV de Meer
Clubs1:RKSV de Meer
Years2:1972–1973
Clubs2:Ajax
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Years3:1973–1977
Clubs3:Royal Antwerp
Caps3:41
Goals3:7
Years4:1977–1978
Clubs4:Telstar
Caps4:25
Goals4:1
Years5:1978–1986
Clubs5:Sparta Rotterdam
Caps5:248
Goals5:26
Years6:1986–1987
Clubs6:AZ
Caps6:17
Goals6:0
Totalcaps:331
Totalgoals:34
Manageryears1:1988–1990
Managerclubs1:Ajax (youth)
Manageryears2:1991–1997
Managerclubs2:Ajax
Manageryears3:1997–2000
Managerclubs3:Barcelona
Manageryears4:2000–2001
Managerclubs4:Netherlands
Manageryears5:2001
Managerclubs5:Netherlands U20
Manageryears6:2002–2003
Managerclubs6:Barcelona
Manageryears7:2005–2009
Managerclubs7:AZ
Manageryears8:2009–2011
Managerclubs8:Bayern Munich
Manageryears9:2012–2014
Managerclubs9:Netherlands
Manageryears10:2014–2016
Managerclubs10:Manchester United
Manageryears11:2021–2022
Managerclubs11:Netherlands
Medaltemplates: (as manager)

Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /luˈʋi vɑŋ ˈɣaːl/;[4] born 8 August 1951) is a Dutch former football player and manager who currently serves as an advisor for Ajax. At club level, he served as manager of Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, as well as having three spells in charge of the Netherlands national team. Van Gaal is one of the most decorated managers in the history of the game, having won 20 major honours in his managerial career.[5] [6] He is sometimes nicknamed the "Iron Tulip".[7] [8] [9]

Before his career as a coach, Van Gaal played as a midfielder for Royal Antwerp, Telstar, Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax and AZ Alkmaar. He is also a qualified physical education teacher, and worked at high schools during his career as a semi-professional footballer.[10] After a brief spell as an assistant coach at AZ, Van Gaal served as an assistant under Leo Beenhakker at Ajax, and eventually took over as head coach in 1991. Under his lead, the club won three Eredivisie titles, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. He moved to Barcelona in 1997 and won two league titles and one Copa del Rey, but left after disagreements with the club's hierarchy.

Van Gaal was then appointed at the Netherlands, but failed to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. This preceded another brief spell at Barcelona, before he returned to AZ, where he won an Eredivisie title, the club's second ever in its history. He moved to Bayern Munich in 2009, and in Germany won the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and reached the final of the UEFA Champions League. He returned to manage the Netherlands for a second time, where he led the nation to a third-place finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was hired by Manchester United later that summer, where he won the FA Cup, before being dismissed in 2016. Despite announcing his retirement due to family reasons in 2019, Van Gaal returned to management in August 2021, when he was appointed as head coach of the Netherlands for a third time.[11]

Playing and early coaching career

Van Gaal was born in Amsterdam.[2] As a youngster, he started playing for the Amsterdam amateur side RKSV de Meer. At the age of 20, he joined the second team of Ajax, but was never chosen to play in the first team, which at the time boasted players such as Johan Cruyff and Johan Neeskens in the midfield positions. He was loaned to Belgian First Division side Royal Antwerp playing under Guy Thys with whom he was runner-up in the Belgian top division in 1974 and 1975. During his time with Antwerp, Van Gaal suffered a broken nose in a friendly against Kortrijk.[12] After four years spent in Belgium, he returned to his homeland and made his Eredivisie debut for Telstar under the guidance of manager, Mircea Petescu, whom he followed to Sparta Rotterdam. He later joined AZ, where he also became assistant coach in 1986. After a short career at AZ, he returned to Ajax to become Leo Beenhakker's assistant. When Beenhakker left in 1991, Van Gaal took over as manager.[13]

Management career

Ajax (1991–1997)

Van Gaal was Ajax manager from 1991 until 1997 and had a very successful tenure. Under Van Gaal, Ajax became the Eredivisie champions three times, in 1994, 1995 (notably going the entire 1994–95 season unbeaten in both the league and the Champions League) and 1996.[14] He also led Ajax to the KNVB Cup in 1993 and the Johan Cruyff Shield in 1993, 1994, and 1995. On the European scene, Ajax captured the UEFA Cup in 1992[15] and the UEFA Champions League in 1995 after beating Milan in the final.[16] The latter win was followed by a 5–1 aggregate win over Real Zaragoza in the 1995 UEFA Super Cup.[17] Late in 1995, Ajax beat Brazilian side Grêmio on penalties to win the Intercontinental Cup.[15] Ajax were also Champions League runners-up in 1996 after losing to Juventus on penalties.[18]

Ajax was so successful under Van Gaal's leadership that during the 1990s, the Netherlands national team was dominated by Ajax players such as Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Winston Bogarde, Michael Reiziger and Edwin van der Sar.

After serving out his contract at Ajax in 1997, Van Gaal received his knighthood in the Order of Orange-Nassau.[19]

Barcelona (1997–2000)

Van Gaal moved to Barcelona in 1997, taking over from Bobby Robson, and helped the team win two La Liga titles (1997–98, 1998–99) and the Copa del Rey once.[14] Despite this success, he clashed with the media and came under criticism. He expressed that it was difficult to implement his football philosophy at Barcelona due to cultural differences, and that he struggled hard as some players were unwilling to follow his lead.[20] His rows with Rivaldo are an example of this: Van Gaal insisted Rivaldo play as a left winger, whereas Rivaldo argued that he wanted to play in the centre, in effect undermining Van Gaal.[21]

Van Gaal eventually left the Catalan side on 20 May 2000,[20] days after losing the league title to Deportivo de La Coruña, uttering the immortal line: "Amigos de la prensa. Yo me voy. Felicidades." ("Friends of the press. I am leaving. Congratulations.")[13] He returned to the Netherlands to manage the Netherlands national team in preparation for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Netherlands national team (2000–2002)

Under Van Gaal, the Netherlands started their campaign to qualify for the 2002 World Cup poorly. Placed in Group 2, an injury-hit side could only manage to secure a late 2–2 draw at home to the Republic of Ireland, having been 2–0 down with 20 minutes to go.[22] A 4–0 win over Cyprus was followed by a 2–0 defeat to Portugal.

In 2001, the Netherlands beat Andorra, Cyprus and Estonia, but despite leading group leaders Portugal 2–0 with seven minutes left, drew 2–2 and fell three points behind second-place Republic of Ireland, who were unbeaten. When the sides met in Dublin, Van Gaal boasted before the match that his squad was so much more talented, even the Irish fans would want them to qualify. Ireland went down to ten men after 58 minutes but scored nine minutes later and won 1–0. The Netherlands fell seven points behind them with two games left to play, meaning that they failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.[23] Van Gaal stepped down as manager on 31 January 2002 to be replaced by Dick Advocaat. After this, speculation began that Van Gaal would succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United once Ferguson claimed he would retire that year. According to Van Gaal, Ferguson decided against retiring and the deal fell through.[24]

Return to Barcelona (2002–2003)

Van Gaal returned to Barcelona for the start of the 2002–03 season on a contract until June 2005, but results were inconsistent. The club won a record-equalling ten successive matches in the Champions League but struggled in La Liga. After four wins, four draws and three defeats from their opening 11 league matches, Barcelona lost three matches in a row, to Real Sociedad, relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla. Two wins and a draw improved things but after successive defeats to Valencia and Celta Vigo, he left by mutual consent on 28 January 2003 with the club in 12th place, just three points above the relegation zone and 20 points behind leaders Real Sociedad.[13]

His transfers, particularly the signings of goalkeeper Robert Enke, midfielder Gaizka Mendieta and playmaker Juan Román Riquelme, all disappointed.[25] Riquelme had been bought to replace Rivaldo, whom Van Gaal had released on a free transfer, despite having a year left on his contract. The two had fallen out during Van Gaal's previous tenure and after Van Gaal returned, Rivaldo said: "Van Gaal is the main cause of my departure. I don't like Van Gaal, and I am sure that he doesn't like me, either."[26] Van Gaal replied that Rivaldo's lack of commitment was the reason he was released, saying that he "was only interested in making more money and playing less. He was chosen as the best player in 1999, but he has not handled himself well since then and has not behaved like a footballer should. He had illusions about Barca and was requesting to take holidays when important Champions League games were approaching. He then hides back home in Brazil. He plays for Brazil like we needed him to at Barcelona, and he has proved this in the World Cup finals, showing he reserved himself for Japan."[27] Rivaldo joined A.C. Milan and won that season's Champions League. However, due to his poor performances throughout the season, he won the Bidone d'Oro Award in 2003, which is given to the worst Serie A player during a particular season. [28]

Return to Ajax (2004)

In 2004, Van Gaal returned to Ajax as a technical director, but resigned later that year due to an internal conflict with Ronald Koeman.[29] [30]

AZ (2005–2009)

In January 2005, it was announced that Van Gaal would replace Co Adriaanse as AZ manager on 1 July 2005.[31] [32] Under Van Gaal, AZ finished second in the Eredivisie in 2005–06 and third in 2006–07. Van Gaal also led AZ to a runners-up finish in the 2006–07 KNVB Cup and lost a 2007–08 Champions League qualification play-off to Ajax 4–2 on aggregate.

Van Gaal initially announced he would leave AZ at the end of the 2007–08 season due to disappointing results, with the club finishing 11th in the Eredivisie.[33] When several players of the AZ squad said that they would like him to stay with AZ, however, Van Gaal said he would give the players a chance to prove themselves.

AZ started the 2008–09 season with two losses: 2–1 to NAC Breda and 0–3 to ADO Den Haag, but after that the Alkmaar-based club remained unbeaten until 18 April, topping the table ahead of Twente and Ajax for the entire season, despite being predicted to finish as low as 13th by pundits.[34] AZ had the best defensive record in the Eredivisie and the second-best goalscoring record, behind Ajax, thanks to its offensive duo of league topscorer Mounir El Hamdaoui and Brazilian Ari. They were crowned league champions on 19 April, one day after AZ suffered an unexpected loss at home to Vitesse, which ended a string of 28 unbeaten games (surpassing the team's 1980–81 record of 25 unbeaten games). That same day Ajax, which was the only opponent that would have been able to surpass AZ given a win, lost 6–2 to PSV.[35] [36]

Bayern Munich (2009–2011)

On 1 July 2009, Van Gaal took over as coach of Bayern Munich.[37] [38] He referred to his new employer as a "dream club". On 28 August 2009, he strengthened his team by signing compatriot Arjen Robben from Real Madrid; this reunited the two, with Van Gaal selecting Robben for his debut in the Netherlands U20 team.[39] [40] [41]

Van Gaal got off to a poor start as Bayern coach, winning only one of his first four matches in charge, and by November the club was on the brink of a Champions League group stage exit following two losses to Bordeaux. With Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga, speculation was rampant that he was on the brink of a departure from Bayern even earlier than his predecessor Jürgen Klinsmann. Van Gaal, however, kept insisting he is a "prozesstrainer", meaning that his team needs time to play the way he imagines.[42]

Van Gaal installed many youth players as fixtures in the starting 11, including Thomas Müller and Holger Badstuber, and also converted the winger Bastian Schweinsteiger into a defensive midfielder. A feud with Italian striker Luca Toni, who had played an important role in Bayern's 2007–08 league and cup double, led to Toni's move to Roma. Bayern Munich's form, however, improved with two Champions League victories including an impressive 4–1 victory over Juventus in Turin, which allowed them to progress from their group in second position behind Bordeaux. By March, Bayern had moved to the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal and were top of the Bundesliga, ahead of Bayer Leverkusen.

On 8 May 2010, Bayern were crowned Bundesliga champions following a 3–1 win at Hertha Berlin,[43] making Van Gaal the first ever Dutch coach to win the Bundesliga.[44] On 15 May 2010, Bayern won the DFB-Pokal with a 4–0 victory over Werder Bremen, thus securing the domestic double.[45]

In the Champions League, Bayern won 4–4 on the away goals rule in the quarter-final against Manchester United[46] and 4–0 on aggregate against Lyon in the semi-final,[47] securing them a spot in the final, where Van Gaal was to meet his former pupil and assistant at Barcelona, Internazionale coach José Mourinho.[48] Bayern, however, lost the final 2–0, handing Inter a first Italian treble and thus failing to secure the treble themselves.[49] On 25 May 2010, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expressed his desire to extend Van Gaal's contract as the club was very happy with his performance, despite Van Gaal still having one year of his contract to fulfil.[50] At the end of the season, Van Gaal was voted Manager of the Year in the yearly poll organized by VDV (professional players' union in Germany) and German magazine kicker.[51] [52]

Van Gaal's Bayern started the 2010–11 season by winning the DFL-Supercup, which had been officially reinstated after a 14-year absence.[53]

On 7 March 2011, Bayern Munich declared that Van Gaal's contract was to be cancelled after the end of the 2010–11 season.[54] However, he was instead sacked on 10 April 2011 after losing the third place in the Bundesliga.[55]

Return to Netherlands national team (2012–2014)

On 6 July 2012, Van Gaal was presented as the new Netherlands coach.[56] "I am happy that the KNVB approached me", said Van Gaal, who was assisted by former Dutch internationals Danny Blind and Patrick Kluivert, both part of his successful Ajax squad from 1995. "This is the challenge which I have been waiting for."[57]

Van Gaal led the Netherlands through its 2014 World Cup qualification group as the team won nine and drew one of their ten matches with a goal difference of 34–5. Qualification was secured with two matches to spare, following a 2–0 away win against Andorra on 10 September 2013.[58]

Despite their successful qualifying campaign, expectations surrounding the Netherlands national team were comparatively low due to mixed pre-tournament friendly performances and the failure of the Dutch squad in Euro 2012, where they suffered three defeats out of three in the group stages in that tournament. In their first group game at the World Cup, at the Estádio Fonte Nova in Salvador, however, Van Gaal's Dutch team came from behind to defeat reigning champions Spain 5–1.[59] The Dutch victory over Spain was attributed in part to Van Gaal's use of counter-attacking tactics which disrupted the tiki-taka possession-based football of the Spanish team. His use of a 3–5–2 formation was notable, as opposed to the typical Dutch 4–3–3 and this helped the Netherlands to tactically take advantage of Spain's weaknesses.[60] In their next match, the Dutch were trailing 2–1 to Australia in the second half of their second group game, before winning 2–3 with the winning goal from young substitute Memphis Depay.[61]

Ahead of the last game in the group, Van Gaal accused FIFA of "playing tricks" in the scheduling of matches to advantage the home nation, as Brazil were to play their last group match four hours after the Dutch, who they could meet in the round of 16 depending on their result. Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari reacted by saying: "It was FIFA who chose the kick-off time. Some people expressed a view that we were going to choose who we were going to play. Those sorts of comments are either stupid or ill-intentioned." Van Gaal also criticised the referees who had awarded penalties against the Dutch in both of their matches, calling the decisions "unjustified" and "incorrect".[62]

The Dutch won their last group match against Chile 2–0 to advance through as group winners.[63] They then defeated Mexico 2–1 in the round of 16, coming behind from a Giovani dos Santos goal in the 45th minute, with Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scoring in the 89th and 90+2 minutes respectively.

During their quarter-final match against Costa Rica in the World Cup, Van Gaal made the decision to substitute first-choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for Tim Krul in the final minute of extra time; as Krul had not played at all in the Netherlands' four prior matches at the tournament, Van Gaal saved one of his three allowed substitutions to bring Krul on.[64] This decision paid off, as Krul saved two of the Costa Rican penalties to send the Netherlands through to the semi-finals to face Argentina. The Dutch team lost to Argentina in another penalty shootout. Van Gaal ended his tenure[65] as Netherlands manager on 12 July 2014 when the Dutch beat the hosts Brazil 3–0 in the third/fourth place play-off match with goals from Robin van Persie, Daley Blind and Georginio Wijnaldum.[66]

Manchester United (2014–2016)

Van Gaal was confirmed to replace David Moyes as the new manager for Manchester United on 19 May 2014, becoming the club's first manager from outside the British Isles.[67] He signed a three-year contract coming into effect after the 2014 World Cup.[67] He named Ryan Giggs as his assistant manager, Marcel Bout as assistant coach, specialising in oppositional scouting and Frans Hoek as goalkeeping coach.[67] Albert Stuivenberg was appointed as assistant coach.[68] Van Gaal said he had inherited a "broken" United squad,[69] [70] [71] and that he would give youth a chance.[72] Ed Woodward said Van Gaal had "impressed everyone around the club" and that there was "a real positive energy and buzz around the place".[73]

2014–15 season

Van Gaal's first signings were midfielder Ander Herrera for £29 million,[74] [75] and defender Luke Shaw for £30 million.[76] [77] On 20 August, Argentine defender Marcos Rojo was bought for €20 million from Sporting CP[78] and, on 26 August, United signed Argentine winger Ángel Di María from Real Madrid on a five-year contract. Di María's £59.7 million fee set a new record for a signing by an English club, and took the club's summer spending to a reported £130 million.[79] On transfer deadline day, Van Gaal signed Daley Blind from Ajax for a fee of £14 million[80] and was granted an extension to sign Radamel Falcao on loan from Monaco for a reported £6 million.[81]

On 24 July, Van Gaal managed United for the first time as they beat the LA Galaxy 7–0 in a pre-season friendly,[82] [83] using a 3–5–2 formation.[84] Manchester United won the 2014 International Champions Cup under Van Gaal, winning the final 3–1 against rivals Liverpool on 4 August.[85]

Van Gaal lost his first competitive game in charge, a 2–1 home defeat to Swansea City in the opening match of the 2014–15 Premier League season.[86] On 26 August, United lost 4–0 to League One side Milton Keynes Dons in the second round of the League Cup; it was United's earliest League Cup exit.[87] He won his first competitive game in United's fourth match of the league season, a 4–0 home victory over Queens Park Rangers, with goals from Di María, Herrera, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.[88]

After ten league matches, United were in ninth place with 13 points and three victories, their worst start to the season since 1986–87 under Ron Atkinson.[89] Their poor run included a 5–3 defeat to newly promoted Leicester City. The squad was suffering from injuries, including to new signings Herrera, Rojo and Falcao.[89] Van Gaal reacted to the poor form by saying that it would take three years to take his United team to their full potential.[90]

On 4 February 2015, Van Gaal was charged by The Football Association over comments he made about the referee Chris Foy, saying: "Every aspect of a match is against us – the pitch, the referee" during United's goalless draw in an FA Cup fourth-round match against Cambridge United.[91] After a requested hearing with the FA, Van Gaal was cleared of his charges, but was warned of future conduct.[92] On 8 February, Van Gaal was criticised by West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce for his long ball tactics after the Hammers conceded a late equaliser to United. Van Gaal responded to the criticism with statistics which seemed to show that West Ham played more long balls than his side.[93] [94] His tactics were defended by fellow managers Arsène Wenger and Garry Monk.[95] [96]

United's form improved as the season progressed. A run of seven consecutive Premier League wins was part of a ten-match unbeaten run that started with a 1–0 home win over Crystal Palace on 8 November 2014 and was ended by Southampton, who won 1–0 at Old Trafford on 11 January 2015.[97] United completed another sequence of seven league wins in a row between 28 February and 12 April, concluding with an impressive 4–2 defeat of champions and local rivals Manchester City. This was followed by three consecutive losses to Chelsea, Everton and West Bromwich Albion.[98] United were also knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the 2014–15 FA Cup by holders and eventual winners Arsenal, who inflicted a 2–1 home defeat on Van Gaal's team on 9 March.[99]

In his first season, Van Gaal led Manchester United to a fourth-place finish, three places and six points higher than the previous season.[100]

2015–16 season

During the summer transfer window, Van Gaal strengthened his squad by bringing in Memphis Depay from PSV, Matteo Darmian from Torino, Sergio Romero from Sampdoria, Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton, Bastian Schweinsteiger from Bayern Munich and Anthony Martial from Monaco.

United comfortably defeated Club Brugge in the qualifying round of the 2015–16 Champions League to earn a place in the group stage. Domestically, United were solid in defence and went top of the Premier League at the end of September; however, mixed results followed, leaving them in fourth position going into November. They were eliminated from the League Cup by Championship club Middlesbrough and were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage on 8 December after a 3–2 loss away to VfL Wolfsburg. They finished third in their group and subsequently dropped down to the UEFA Europa League.[101] Fifteen days later, Van Gaal walked out of a press conference after being questioned about his future, amid speculations of dismissal following a six-game run without a win. He concluded: "I wish you a merry Christmas and maybe also a happy new year when I see you."[102]

The new year began well for the Dutchman with wins against Swansea City, Sheffield United and Liverpool, and a draw against Newcastle United. Manchester United, however, lost to Southampton on 23 January, rekindling rumors about Van Gaal offering to resign, but having his resignation rejected by United executive Ed Woodward.[103]

After a 3–0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur on 10 April, several United players reportedly turned on Van Gaal in the dressing room, calling him "clueless" and questioning his tactics after he openly criticized young striker Marcus Rashford and several other players and made several questionable decisions during the match, a result which left United four points off fourth-placed Manchester City.[104]

On 21 May 2016, Van Gaal won his only trophy with Manchester United, the FA Cup, when his side defeated Crystal Palace 2–1 after extra time; Jesse Lingard's winning goal made United match Arsenal's then-record of 12 FA Cups.[105] Two days later, Van Gaal and the Dutch members of his staff were sacked by the club.[106]

Hiatus from managing (2016–2021)

On 17 January 2017, it was announced that Van Gaal had retired "for family reasons".[107] He later said that it was only a sabbatical.[108] He announced his official retirement from football on 12 March 2019.[109] [110] Telstar announced that during the 2021–22 Eerste Divisie, Van Gaal would be managing the Telstar squad for one single match as a charity event.[111]

Third stint at the Netherlands national team (2021−2022)

On 4 August 2021, Van Gaal came out of retirement to take charge of the Netherlands national team for a third time. He replaced Frank de Boer, who left the position in June following the team's disappointing Euro 2020 campaign.[112]

Van Gaal's first match in his third stint at the Netherlands national team was a 1–1 draw against Norway on 1 September 2021.[113]

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands finished top of Group A, then they defeated the United States 3–1 in the round of 16.[114] On 9 December, Van Gaal and his Netherlands side lost again to Argentina on penalties, this time in the quarter-finals.[115] Following their exit from the World Cup, Van Gaal resigned as head coach of the Netherlands national team, after 20 matches without defeat in his third stint.[116]

Van Gaal later claimed[117] [118] that the 2022 World Cup was rigged in favour of eventual champions Argentina (and in particular Argentinian captain Lionel Messi).[119] [120]

Style of management

Van Gaal is considered to be one of the greatest and most successful managers of all time.[5] [6] [121] [122] He served as an inspiration for several other coaches due to his teams' style of play and his use of a back–three defensive line, including Gian Piero Gasperini and Alberto Malesani, as well as influencing his former assistant José Mourinho, and his former players Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.[123] [124] [125] [126] [127] Due to his rigorous, stern, authoritative style, and strong personality he was occasionally nicknamed the "Iron Tulip" throughout his career, a nickname which Van Gaal himself despised, as he always believed that he had been "fair" as a coach.[7] [8] [9] [128] Although he had several controversial conflicts with his players, the press, and members of his teams' management staff throughout his career, he was known for his leadership, and often saw himself as a "relationship" manager, who saw the importance of the mental aspect of the game, and was known for his ability develop young players, promote his philosophy, and create strong relationships with them, as was the case during his time at Ajax in the 90s.[129]

In an interview with FIFA in January 2008, Van Gaal spoke of the importance of his football philosophy rathern than the systems he used, as well as the need for flexibility as a coach, as demonstrated by his use of several formations throughout his career, such as the 4–3–3 and 3–3–1–3/3–4–3 with Ajax, the 2–3–2–3 at Barcelona, the 4–4–2 at AZ Alkmaar, and the 4–2–3–1 with Bayern Munich. He also believed that it was imperative to prepare the game well from a tactical standpoint as a coach, and for his teams' players to be disciplined and hard-working in their approach to training.[130] [131] [132] [133] [134]

At Ajax, Van Gaal's style of using set patterns of play was inspired by Dutch total football, which was popularised by fellow former Ajax manager Rinus Michels; his players were therefore known for their quick passing as well as their versatility. He brought in experts from different sports as part of his coaching staff to improve the players' athletic qualiteis through rigorous training, including physiologist Jos Geysel, running coach and ex-basketball player Laszlo Jambor, and the club’s strength and conditioning coach Rene Wormhoudt. Van Gaal also used Van der Sar as a sweeper keeper, who would not only rush out of his area to clear the ball away from danger, but also build-up plays from the back with his passing and ability with his feet; his defenders, in particular the sweeper in the centre of the back–three, were also required to be comfortable controlling and distributing the ball out from the back.[135] [136] [137] The team were not only known for their technical ability, tactical sense, and exciting playing style, but for their athletic and physical qualities as well.[138] Defensively, Van Gaal also made use of a high defensive line and pressing off the ball when not in possession.[139] [140]

Van Gaal believed in playing attractive attacking football based on possession, with which his teams became associated in his early career;[141] [142] however, he also believed that success was imperative above all.[143] [144] At AZ Alkmaar, although he initially retained his traditional Dutch style,[123] he later also adopted a more counter-attacking style en route to winning the league title in 2009.[144] He also deviated from the traditional Dutch style as head coach of the Netherlands during the 2014 World Cup; he played in a more defensive–minded counter-attacking style, using a 5–3–2/3–5–2 formation, which used aspects of man-marking and overlapping wing-backs. The system proved to be successful against defending champions Spain's tiki-taka possession-based style in the team's first-round victory, and complemented the qualities of the team's forwards.[143] [145] [146] Van Gaal also used a similar counter-attacking tactical approach during his third spell as head coach of the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, using a 3–4–1–2 formation, which divided critics.[147] [148] [149] During his time as manager of Manchester United, he also drew criticism from other managers and pundits for his perceived use of "long ball" tactics to Marouane Fellaini, something which Van Gaal himself denied,[150] fielding Marouane Fellaini as a deep-lying target man up-front on occasion in a 4–3–3, in order to utilise his ability in the air.[151] [152]

Despite his achievements, Cruyff was often critical of what he perceived as being Van Gaal's more rigid coaching style, in comparison to his own more intuitive approach, commenting: "Van Gaal has a good vision on football. But it's not mine. He wants to gel winning teams and has a militaristic way of working with his tactics. I don't. I want individuals to think for themselves and take the decision on the pitch that is best for the situation... I don't have anything against computers, but you judge football players intuitively and with your heart. On the basis of the criteria which are now in use at Ajax [recommended by Van Gaal] I would have failed the test. When I was 15, I could barely kick the ball 15 metres with my left and with the right maybe 20 metres. I would not have been able to take a corner. Besides, I was physically weak and relatively slow. My two qualities were great technique and insight, which happen to be two things you cannot measure with a computer."[153]

Personal life

The youngest of nine brothers and sisters, Van Gaal was brought up as a Catholic. His father, a salesman, died when Van Gaal was 11. At the age of 18, Van Gaal met Fernanda Obbes at a Catholic youth group. They married three years later, and had two daughters, Brenda and Renate. In 1994, Obbes died of liver and pancreatic cancer. Van Gaal was mocked by fans of Ajax's opponents for her illness.[154] In 2008, Van Gaal married his current wife, Truus, with whom he shares a holiday home near Albufeira, Algarve, Portugal.[155]

According to The Daily Telegraph, it emerged in 2009 that Van Gaal had lost millions of pounds investing in fraudster Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.[156]

On 3 April 2022, Van Gaal said that he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer.[157] [158] On 12 April 2022, he said that his treatment was successful.[159]

In media

In 2000, Van Gaal appeared in Nike's "The Mission" campaign advertising their Total 90 range of football equipment. In the advert, Van Gaal sends a team of Nike-sponsored players to retrieve a Nike Geo Merlin ball being held in a secure facility by robot ninjas. Oliver Bierhoff protests, "It's just a ball", to which Van Gaal responds, "No! It's rounder!" After the players retrieve the ball, Van Gaal pilots the escape helicopter to safety.[160]

In 2022, Geertjan Lassche made a two-hour documentary about Louis van Gaal, entitled Louis, with the tagline "The man behind the legend". It premiered on 11 April at the Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam. It was released on 14 April 2022.[161] [162]

Career statistics

Club

ClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ajax1971–7200000000
1972–7300000000
Total00000000
Royal Antwerp1973–749230—122
1974–753062—92
1975–761942240256
1976–7710110—111
Total417124405711
Telstar1977–78251——251
Sparta Rotterdam1978–79315——315
1979–80331——331
1980–81335——335
1981–82241——241
1982–83335——335
1983–84342—60402
1984–8530430—334
1985–86313—40353
Total248263010026126
AZ1986–87170——170
Career totals3313415414036038

Managerial statistics

TeamFromToRecord
Ajax28 September 199130 June 1997
Barcelona1 July 199720 May 2000[163]
Netherlands7 July 2000[164] 30 November 2001[165]
1 July 2002[166] 28 January 2003[167]
AZ1 July 200530 June 2009
Bayern Munich1 July 200910 April 2011[168]
6 July 201212 July 2014
Manchester United16 July 201423 May 2016[169]
4 August 20219 December 2022
Total

Honours

Manager

Ajax[170] [171]

1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96

1992–93

1993, 1994, 1995

1994–95; runner-up: 1995–96

1991–92

1995

1995

Barcelona

1997–98, 1998–99

1997–98

1997

AZ

2008–09

Bayern Munich

2009–10

2009–10

2010

Manchester United

2015–16

Netherlands

Awards and achievements

1995[173]

1995[174]

1995

2007, 2009[175]

2009, 2014[176] [177]

2010[179]

Orders

Publications

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Squad List: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Netherlands (NED) . FIFA . 20 . 15 November 2022 . 16 November 2022 . 30 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221130184801/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce44/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf . live .
  2. Web site: Van Gaal: Louis van Gaal: Manager . BDFutbol . 21 December 2017 . 8 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221208221130/https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/l/l4204.html . live .
  3. News: Ronay . Barney . Louis van Gaal: an aristocrat of the game . Irish Times . 19 May 2014 . 20 May 2014 . 7 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221107121237/https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/louis-van-gaal-an-aristocrat-of-the-game-1.1801592 . live .
  4. Van in isolation is pronounced in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /vɑn/.
  5. Web site: WATCH Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal's career factfile . Sunday Express . 6 September 2015 . Charles . Perrin . 19 May 2014 . 21 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221121173908/https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/476816/WATCH-Manchester-United-boss-Louis-Van-Gaal-s-factfile . live .
  6. Web site: Former Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal retires for family reasons . Sky Sports . 17 January 2017 . 19 February 2017 . 8 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221208221117/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/10731798/former-man-utd-boss-louis-van-gaal-retires-for-family-reasons . live .
  7. The life and times of the Iron Tulip: Who is Louis van Gaal?. Bew. John. New Statesman. 26 February 2015. 21 September 2019. 13 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210513032753/https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2015/02/life-and-times-iron-tulip-who-louis-van-gaal. live.
  8. News: Louis van Gaal: from Iron Tulip to muddled thinker at Manchester United. Jackson. Jamie. The Guardian. 23 May 2016. 21 September 2019. 19 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221119000704/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/may/22/louis-van-gaal-iron-tulip-muddled-thinker-manchester-united-jesse-lingard-fa-cup-final. live.
  9. News: Biography: King Louis van Gaal is the Iron Tulip. Lui. Max. Irish Independent. 24 August 2014. 21 September 2019. 8 December 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221208221116/https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/biography-king-louis-van-gaal-is-the-iron-tulip-30524157.html. live.
  10. Book: Van der Kaaij, Meindert . Louis van Gaal . 1997 . Utrecht . Kwadrat, cop . nl . 90-6481-277-2 . 43 onw.
  11. Web site: Louis van Gaal named as Netherlands manager for third time . The Guardian . 4 August 2021 . 6 August 2021 . 2 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210902144510/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/aug/04/louis-van-gaal-named-as-netherlands-manager-for-third-time . live .
  12. Web site: de Groote . Raoul . Hoe Een Bodybuilder Avant La Lettre Van Gaals Neus Brak (in Dutch) . Staantribune . 15 June 2018 . 15 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180615163258/https://staantribune.nl/hoe-een-bodybuilder-avant-la-lettre-van-gaals-neus-brak/ . dead .
  13. Web site: Louis van Gaal . ESPN Soccernet . 21 May 2010 . 21 May 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140521031330/http://www.espnfc.com/players/manager?id=99 . live .
  14. News: Louis van Gaal – colourful and controversial but he is a serial winner. 23 April 2014. 24 April 2014. The Guardian. 4 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240704103703/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/22/louis-van-gaal-manchester-united-colourful-controversial. live.
  15. Web site: Louis van Gaal: The Stubborn Master Who Won 15 Major Trophies at 4 of the World's Greatest Clubs . Sports Illustrated . 1 May 2024 . 18 July 2019 . 24 November 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231124203757/https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/07/18/louis-van-gaal-stubborn-master-who-won-15-major-trophies-4-worlds-greatest-clubs . live .
  16. News: 'A volcano that exploded': the '95 Ajax side that changed European football . The Guardian . 24 May 2020 . 24 May 2020 . Nick . Ames . 24 May 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200524072638/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/may/24/a-volcano-that-exploded-the-95-ajax-side-that-changed-european-football . live .
  17. Web site: UEFA Super Cup history . UEFA.com . 1 May 2024 . 16 August 2023 . 10 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200810053212/https://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/ . live .
  18. Web site: Why Ajax still feel 'cheated' by Juve's 1996 Champions League triumph. 9 April 2019. The Independent. 1 May 2024. 1 December 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231201112441/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/ajax-juventus-1996-champions-league-final-doping-cheating-calciopoli-a8860746.html. live.
  19. Web site: Over Louis . About Louis . louisvangaal.nl . 21 May 2010 . nl . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100504082003/http://www.louisvangaal.nl/louis-van-gaal.html . 4 May 2010 .
  20. News: Van Gaal quits Barca . BBC . 20 May 2000 . 21 May 2010 . 26 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140726082509/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/euro2000/teams/holland/756865.stm . live .
  21. News: Rivaldo is dropped following row with Van Gaal. Tynan. Gordon. 22 December 1999. The Independent. London. 21 May 2010. 11 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160311004600/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/rivaldo-is-dropped-following-row-with-van-gaal-743006.html. live.
  22. News: Joy of Six: Symbolic reducers . The Guardian . London . 23 July 2007 . 12 July 2014 . 3 December 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203190322/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jul/23/newsstory.sport11 . live .
  23. News: The Joy of Six: Republic of Ireland football moments . The Guardian . 18 November 2011 . 12 July 2014 . 14 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714220654/http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/nov/18/joy-of-six-republic-ireland-football . live .
  24. News: Man U close in on Van Gaal . The Guardian . London . 23 January 2002 . 22 June 2010 . 4 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240704103704/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/jan/23/newsstory.sport4 . live .
  25. News: Van Gaal leaves Barca . BBC . 28 January 2003 . 10 May 2010 . 17 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191017200140/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/2700353.stm . live .
  26. News: Soccer: This time Rivaldo loses the ego war . The New York Times . 24 July 2002 . 12 July 2014 . 14 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714181427/http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/24/sports/24iht-soccer_ed3__7.html . live .
  27. News: Van Gaal hits back at Rivaldo . Sky Sports . 12 July 2014 . 14 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714124900/http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11833/2241655/van-gaal-hits-back-at-rivaldo . live .
  28. Web site: Adriano vince il Bidone d'Oro 2010 - TUTTOmercatoWEB.com. archivio.tuttomercatoweb.com.
  29. News: Van Gaal resigns from Ajax role . 20 October 2004 . 20 June 2014 . UEFA Official Website . 31 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140831014548/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=247122.html . live .
  30. News: Van Gaal resigns from post at Ajax . 20 October 2004 . 20 June 2014 . CNN . 28 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151228113157/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/10/20/netherlands.van-gaal/ . live .
  31. Web site: Jacht op eerherstel heropend . Trouw . 15 January 2005 . 10 May 2010 . nl . 21 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161221091103/http://www.trouw.nl/krantenarchief/2005/01/15/2321188/Jacht_op_eerherstel_heropend.html . live .
  32. News: Van Gaal to take charge at Alkmaar . CNN . 14 January 2005 . 10 May 2010 . 8 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201208021707/http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/football/01/14/alkmaar.vangaal/ . live .
  33. News: Ruizenaar . Theo . Van Gaal to step down as AZ Alkmaar coach . Reuters . 28 March 2008 . 9 January 2010 . 27 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201027042105/https://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL2889958720080328 . live .
  34. News: Schaerlaeckens . Leander . How AZ Alkmaar proved the pundits were way off target . 20 April 2009 . 2 August 2014 . The Guardian.
  35. News: AZ Alkmaar loses 2–1 to Vitesse in Dutch soccer league Saturday . https://web.archive.org/web/20090422224205/http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5j2aUlWUBM9Jzk4D7Amr-0THfFDpg . dead . 22 April 2009 . 19 April 2009 . 18 April 2009 . The Canadian Press.
  36. News: AZ Alkmaar wins Dutch First Division soccer title after PSV downs Ajax. https://web.archive.org/web/20090422174110/http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iRdPaZUa1Ug7nV9ZOHEJrKv5cO0w . dead . 22 April 2009 . 19 April 2009 . 19 April 2009 . The Canadian Press.
  37. News: Alkmaar approve switch: Van Gaal poised to take Bayern helm . 13 May 2009 . 13 May 2009 . FC Bayern . 16 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090516034500/http://www.fcbayern.t-home.de/en/news/news/2009/19503.php . live .
  38. News: Bayern appoint Van Gaal as coach . 13 May 2009 . 13 May 2009 . BBC Sport . 14 May 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090514011935/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8048852.stm . live .
  39. News: Arjen Robben signs for Bayern Munich . 28 August 2009 . USA Today . 26 May 2010.
  40. Web site: Van Gaal delighted with Robben. 29 August 2009. Virginmedia.com. 26 May 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090921180649/http://www.football.virginmedia.com/page/Football/Headlines/0,,12555~1781679,00.html. 21 September 2009.
  41. News: Ryland . James . Bayern expect top marks from football professor Van Gaal . 23 May 2009 . 15 May 2009 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 16 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141216112152/http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/bayern-expect-top-marks-from-football-professor-van-gaal-20090515-b4zd.html . live .
  42. Web site: FC Bayern München, "Ferguson? Capello?". 16 October 2009. Süddeutsche Zeitung. de. 23 May 2009. 26 September 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110926190613/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/fc-bayern-muenchen-ferguson-capello-1.31952. live.
  43. Web site: Bayern celebrate title with win . 8 May 2010 . ESPN . 10 May 2010 . 21 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021082016/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=783485&sec=europe&cc=5739&cc=5739 . dead .
  44. Web site: What a season.... 10 May 2010. Bundesliga.de. 5 July 2015. 15 December 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101215160644/http://bundesliga.de/en/liga/news/2009/index.php?f=153453.php. dead.
  45. News: Bayern win Cup to clinch Double. 15 May 2010. BBC. 15 May 2010. 18 May 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100518141828/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8684950.stm. live.
  46. Web site: United buckle under Bayern strain . 7 April 2010 . UEFA . 22 May 2010 . 20 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110720231306/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/matches/season=2010/round=2000030/match=2000483/postmatch/report/index.html . live .
  47. Web site: Olić treble takes brilliant Bayern to Madrid . 27 April 2010 . UEFA . 22 May 2010 . 25 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110725154313/http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/matches/season=2010/round=2000031/match=2000485/postmatch/report/index.html . live .
  48. Web site: Soccer: Master Van Gaal takes on to pupil Mourinho. 22 May 2010. 23 May 2010. Associated Press.
  49. Web site: Bayern Munich 0 – 2 Internazionale . 22 May 2010 . ESPN Soccernet . 24 May 2010 . 16 February 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100216115834/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=292088&cc=5739 . dead .
  50. News: Collins . Ben . Bayern want Van Gaal extension . 25 May 2010 . 25 May 2010 . Sky Sports.
  51. Web site: Robben voted Germany's top Footballer . 8 August 2010 . 8 August 2010 . Supersport.com . dead . https://archive.today/20120731003355/http://supersport.com/football/germany/news/100808/Robben_voted_Germanys_top_Footballer . 31 July 2012 .
  52. Web site: Trainer des Jahres: Das Wahlergebnis . 8 August 2010 . 8 August 2010 . kicker . de . 14 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121014173427/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/startseite/540831/artikel_Trainer-des-Jahres_Das-Wahlergebnis.html . live .
  53. Web site: Bayern win German Supercup . 7 August 2010 . 8 August 2010 . Eurosport . 1 May 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110501020442/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/07082010/58/bundesliga-bayern-win-german-supercup.html . live .
  54. Web site: Van Gaal Trainer bis Saisonende – Einvernehmliche Vertragsauflösung zum 30.6.2011 . 7 March 2011 . FcBayern.de . 7 March 2011 . 29 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110629180925/http://www.fcbayern.telekom.de/de/aktuell/start/index.php . live .
  55. Web site: FC Bayern and Louis van Gaal part company . Bayern Munich . 10 April 2011 . 10 April 2011 . 26 August 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120826004445/http://www.fcbayern.telekom.de/en/news/news/2011/29021.php . live .
  56. News: Van Gaal returns to Dutch hot-seat . https://web.archive.org/web/20120710134643/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1661051/index.html . dead . 10 July 2012 . 6 July 2012 . 6 July 2012 . FIFA.
  57. News: Scholten . Berend . Van Gaal returns for second Netherlands spell 2012 . 6 July 2012 . 6 July 2012 . UEFA Official Website . 9 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170909113724/http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1839534.html . live .
  58. News: Van Persie delivers Netherlands World Cup ticket. 13 July 2014. UEFA. 10 September 2013. Scholten. Berend. 15 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140715020947/http://www.uefa.com/worldcup/season=2014/matches/round=2000294/match=2008606/postmatch/report/index.html#dutch+book+finals+spot. live.
  59. News: Spain 1–5 Netherlands. 13 June 2014. BBC Sport. 13 June 2014. 9 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160109084648/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25285043. live.
  60. News: Ramesh. Priya. Tactical Analysis: How the Netherlands demolished Spain. 18 June 2014. Benefoot.net. 18 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140621194440/http://www.benefoot.net/tactical-analysis-how-the-netherlands-demolished-spain/. 21 June 2014. dead.
  61. News: Sanghera. Mandeep. Australia 2–3 Netherlands. 18 June 2014. BBC Sport. 18 June 2014. 17 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140617152629/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25285148. live.
  62. News: World Cup 2014: Fifa unfair over fixtures – Louis van Gaal. 23 June 2014. BBC Sport. 23 June 2014. 23 June 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140623111932/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27970924. live.
  63. News: Werdel . Paul . World Cup 2014: Netherlands Defeats Chile, 2-0, to Win Group B . 26 August 2020 . . 23 June 2014 . 17 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190417054421/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/06/23/sports/worldcup/world-cup-netherlands-vs-chile.html . live .
  64. Web site: Netherlands 0-0 Costa Rica. https://web.archive.org/web/20140707105319/http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=255953/match=300186488/report.html. dead. 7 July 2014. FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 29 October 2019.
  65. News: Lipton. Martin. World Cup 2014: Third place playoff will see Van Gaal and Scolari depart on very different notes. 20 July 2014. Daily Mirror. London. 12 July 2014. 17 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140717205035/http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014/world-cup-2014-third-place-3845332. live.
  66. News: Van Persie und Co. demütigen ganz Brasilien erneut. 19 July 2014. kicker. 12 July 2014. de. 16 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140716045529/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/wm/spiele/weltmeisterschaft/2014/7/1417881/spielanalyse_brasilien-920_niederlande.html. live.
  67. Web site: Manchester United: Louis van Gaal confirmed as new manager . BBC . 19 May 2014 . 19 May 2014 . 19 May 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140519183249/http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27243233 . live .
  68. News: New coaching appointment: Albert Stuivenberg. 9 July 2014. Manchester United F.C.. 6 July 2014. 8 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140708034531/http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2014/Jul/albert-stuivenberg-appointed-as-assistant-coach-for-manchester-united.aspx. live.
  69. News: Louis van Gaal: I have inherited a broken Manchester United squad . 29 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Guardian . London.
  70. News: Herbert . Ian . Louis van Gaal says he is inheriting a 'broken' Manchester United squad . 28 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Independent . London . 31 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140731032453/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/louis-van-gaal-says-he-is-inheriting-a-broken-manchester-united-squad-9634294.html . live .
  71. News: Ogden . Mark . New Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he has inherited a 'broken squad' . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/10996808/New-Manchester-United-manager-Louis-van-Gaal-says-he-has-inherited-a-broken-squad.html . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . 28 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Daily Telegraph . London.
  72. News: Ogden . Mark . Louis van Gaal planning for Manchester United's future by giving youth its chance . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/10998813/Louis-van-Gaal-planning-for-Manchester-Uniteds-future-by-giving-youth-its-chance.html . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . 29 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Daily Telegraph . London.
  73. News: Ogden . Mark . Louis van Gaal has brought positive energy to Manchester United, claims executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/10983939/Louis-van-Gaal-has-brought-positive-energy-to-Manchester-United-claims-executive-vice-chairman-Ed-Woodward.html . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . 22 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Daily Telegraph . London.
  74. News: Ander Herrera pays up contract and signs for Manchester United . 26 June 2014 . 3 September 2014 . The Guardian.
  75. News: Tynan . Gordon . Manchester United confirm signing of Athletic Bilbao midfielder . https://web.archive.org/web/20140703203147/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/ander-herrera-manchester-united-confirm-signing-of-athletic-bilbao-midfielder-9566127.html . dead . 3 July 2014 . 26 June 2014 . 3 September 2014 . The Independent . London.
  76. News: Manchester United buy Luke Shaw from Southampton for £30m . 27 June 2014 . 3 September 2014 . Sky Sports . 27 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210527064307/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11667/9363721/premier-league-manchester-united-buy-luke-shaw-from-southampton-for-16330m . live .
  77. News: De Menezes . Jack . Luke Shaw joins Manchester United: England defender completes £30m move from Southampton . https://web.archive.org/web/20140627150559/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/luke-shaw-to-manchester-united-confirmed-england-defender-completes-30m-move-from-southampton-9568357.html . dead . 27 June 2014 . 27 June 2014 . 3 September 2014 . The Independent . London.
  78. News: United sign Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon. 20 August 2014. ManUtd.com. Manchester United. 13 December 2015. 30 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150630222751/http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2014/Aug/Manchester-United-confirm-transfer-of-Marcos-Rojo-from-Sporting-Lisbon.aspx. live.
  79. News: Jackson . Jamie . Ángel di María completes record £59.7m move to Manchester United . 26 August 2014 . 26 August 2014 . The Guardian . London . 30 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190430041725/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/26/angel-di-maria-completes-move-to-manchester-united . live .
  80. News: Ajax confirm the transfer of £14m Daley Blind to Manchester United . 1 September 2014 . 14 September 2014 . The Guardian . London.
  81. News: Man Utd sign Falcao on loan for £6m . 2 September 2014 . 14 September 2014 . BBC Sport . 12 September 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140912230344/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29011493 . live .
  82. News: Jackson . Jamie . Manchester United hammer LA Galaxy as Van Gaal's reign starts with bang . 24 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Guardian . London.
  83. News: Ogden . Mark . Manchester United thrash LA Galaxy 7–0 as Ander Herrera stars to give Louis van Gaal victory in first match . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/10987528/Manchester-United-thrash-LA-Galaxy-7-0-as-Ander-Herrera-stars-to-give-Louis-van-Gaal-victory-in-first-match.html . 12 January 2022 . subscription . live . 24 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . The Daily Telegraph . London.
  84. News: Bate . Adam . Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has found early success with 3–5–2 and might be tempted to stick with it . 25 July 2014 . 2 August 2014 . Sky Sports . 26 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140726202705/http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15115/9392807/manchester-united-boss-louis-van-gaal-has-found-early-success-with-3-5-2-and-might-be-tempted-to-stick-with-it . live .
  85. News: Hirst . Paul . Manchester United vs Liverpool match report: United earn early bragging rights and lift trophy in US final after beating Premier League rivals . 5 August 2014 . 16 August 2014 . The Independent . London . 19 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140819092926/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/manchester-united-vs-liverpool-match-report-united-earn-early-bragging-rights-and-lift-trophy-in-us-final-after-beating-premier-league-rivals-9648223.html . live .
  86. News: Taylor . Daniel . Swansea upstage Manchester United in Louis van Gaal's Premier League bow . 16 August 2014 . 16 August 2014 . The Guardian . London . 4 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240704104636/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/aug/16/manchester-united-swansea-city-premier-league-match-report . live .
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