“Who else?”: Louis van Gaal is back. / Picture: APA / AFP / ANP / MAURICE VAN STEEN
Zeist. Actually, Louis van Gaal had said goodbye to professional football. His end at Manchester United was unpleasant. Success did not materialize, behind the scenes José Mourinho has already been signed as his successor – in 2016, van Gaal, tired and hurt, retired to his adopted country of Portugal.
But five years later he's back. As a bond coach for the Dutch national team, the 70-year-old stands on the training ground in the association center in Zeist and watches the players of the Oranje team. After the disappointing round of 16 at the EM and the resignation of Frank de Boer, van Gaal should now fix it again and lead the Elftal to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Who else is supposed to do it?” He asked a few weeks ago at his official introduction. From 2000 to 2002 van Gaal was responsible for the Oranje team for the first time, but embarrassingly missed participation in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Ten years later, he began his second term and led the team in 2014 in Brazil in third place.
And what's next? “Work,” replies van Gaal. The Netherlands got off to a mixed start in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. At the beginning there was a bitter defeat in Turkey, followed by mandatory victories against Latvia and Gibraltar.
Before the duel in Norway on Wednesday with star striker Erling Haaland, the Oranje team is already under pressure. That is why the veteran trainer leaves nothing to chance. In his coaching staff, van Gaal has gathered old confidants around him, in this international game block, which still has games against Montenegro and Turkey, he wants to lay the foundation for his second participation in the World Cup. The comeback has rekindled his ambition. He wanted to become world champion, announced van Gaal confidently as usual.
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