Louis Van Gaal Netherlands Exit – When And Why

Published at Apr 26th, 2022 byAlex McMahon

Photo Credit: AP

Louis Van Gaal came out of retirement to manage the Netherlands for a third time in August 2021.

The former Manchester United manager succeeded Frank de Boer, who had replaced Ronald Koeman in 2020 when he departed the position to take over as Barcelona manager. Koeman will replace Van Gaal after the 2022 World Cup.

An iconic figure in the sport for over three decades, Van Gaal is a decorated and influential manager. He recently announced that he is suffering from prostate cancer, prompting a tidal wave of heartfelt messages from the football community.

Speaking to Dutch show Humberto about a documentary on his life, Van Gaal made his illness public. He managed to keep his condition private with not even his players knowing.

“They don’t know. They see a blush on my cheeks and think, ‘what a healthy (person) that is’. That is of course not the case.

“I’ve been through a lot with illnesses, including with my own wife. So that’s just part of life. (I) as a human being have probably become richer because of all those experiences. I thought that should also be in the film.”

The Amsterdam native will still lead the Netherlands into the controversial World Cup in Qatar later this year.

Led by Virgil van Dijk and Memphis Depay, the Oranje are destined to be a popular dark horse pick once again, and many neutrals will be rooting for the beloved Van Gaal.

Louis van Gaal, Rafael van der Vaart, Memphis Depay

Koeman returns to manage the Netherlands after Qatar. He penned a contract until the 2026 World Cup after helping the team qualify for Euro 2020 during his last stint prior to a calamitous spell at Barcelona.

The director of professional football at the KNVB, Marianne van Leeuwen, commented on the hire, saying, “I did not want to wait to fill in the succession of Louis van Gaal.

“The changing of the guard will soon fall at an atypical moment; the end of the calendar year, a period in which top trainers have been under contract for a long time.

“Already in mid-January we decided to contact Ronald, who was available. We are very happy that Ronald will return next year. During his previous term as national coach, there was great satisfaction with his work and the results.”

Koeman released a statement following the news, too.

The former Everton manager said, “I am looking forward to the new collaboration. About a year and a half ago I certainly did not leave the Dutch national team out of dissatisfaction.

“My stay felt good, the results were good and the click with the internationals was good. We will continue on that path in the future.”

He also shared an immediate reaction on Twitter.

“Proud to share I will be the manager of Netherlands’ national team again after the WC. I am very much looking forward, let’s reach new successes together!”

Koeman returns to the sphere of international football off the back of a turbulent spell at Barcelona.

Koeman Van Gaal successor

His style of play did not go down well with the Cules. Lionel Messi departed in the summer, and they were down in ninth when he left the job following a defeat to Rayo Vallecano.

The Catalan giants also lost their first two Champions League matches 3-0 under Koeman’s leadership. Still a legend at the club for what he achieved on the pitch, his managerial exploits at Camp Nou will not be remembered fondly.

While his recent record in club football leaves plenty to be desired, there is value in stability in the international game.

The players know Koeman, and he’s not going to overhaul things even if the team disappoint at the World Cup. This is still a squad with a fair bit of time on its side – few players are looking at Qatar as their last major tournament.

It isn’t the most exciting hire in football history. Some Oranje fans will have been left uninspired by bringing back Koeman, but international football is often about keeping things simple.

Pragmatism frequently wins out. There is limited time on the training pitch to impart a footballing ideology and a limited talent pool restricts what is possible.

Perhaps Koeman is just building on the success from Qatar. The Dutch can count themselves fortunate to land in a group with Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal.

They have what it takes to make a deep run at the tournament, and regardless of their performances, they will be among the favourites for the Euros in 2024.

Expectations are high, but the circumstances facing Koeman in 2023 will be so much easier than what he dealt with at Barcelona.