Louis Van Gaal has been one of the best managers in the last three decades, managing some of the elite teams in the world. As a manager of teams like Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and even his country, the Netherlands, he has won several trophies and is widely regarded as a great manager of all time.
But despite his admirable playing style and overall success, he has clashed with many players and personalities, including his own. And now his man management has been deemed too harsh by one of the men he worked with.
Ex-Bayern chief exposes Van Gaal’s insane presence
Louis Van Gaal had managed Bayern Munich for a two-year period from 2009 to 2011. There he was quite successful, winning the Bundesliga, the DFL Supercup, the DFL Pokal, and even leading his team to a Champions League final in 2010.
However, Christian Nerlinger, who was sporting director at the time, revealed what Van Gaal was like behind closed doors. He said that the Dutchman regularly pushed his players to the limit, both physically and emotionally. His intense method of coaching even led some first-team players to break down in tears.
In an interview with Bild, the ex-Bayern chief said, “His analysis were respectful and not offensive, but so hard that one or two players even cried. Deficiencies were pointed out mercilessly, every bad pass was discussed.”
At a point, the players started to become intimate with their manager. “He exerted a brutal amount of pressure just with his insane presence.” In fact, the players stopped taking creative risks on the pitch, because they knew a single mistake would bring themselves face to face with Van Gaal the next day.
But Christian also admitted that Van Gaal’s tenure and management were what sowed the fruits of success in the future for Bayern, as he laid ‘the foundation’.
How long did Louis Van Gaal manage Manchester United?
Louis Van Gaal joined Manchester United in 2014, succeeding David Moyes and was the first non-British manager in their history. He would only stay there for two years. In the first season, he only managed to secure a fourth place position in the league, with no other success.
In the second season, he would improve the team for some time, but ultimately only managed a fifth place finish. He soon came under fire, for dressing room problems where the players felt their manager’s tactics were not enough and also the fact that he openly criticized some of them. Van Gaal would eventually win a trophy in the form of the FA Cup at the end of the season, but only two days he was sacked by the board for his other failures.
Louis Van Gaal is currently battling prostate cancer and has also rejoined Ajax as a adviser in their tough season. He currently has no plans to return to coaching anytime soon.
