Louis van Gaal, in his own words, has had a very satisfying career which leaves him with nothing to prove and major trophies at every club he has taken charge of. Along the way, he has had several fall-outs as well, with players, management and the press alike – the last of which he perhaps loathes most after his spell in England in charge of Manchester United.
Most of us probably remember him telling the English press to enjoy the mince pie and wine after they had ‘declared him sacked’, and perhaps even calling a journalist “fat man” to make a point about undeserved criticism of Wayne Rooney.
With the eccentric Dutchman bringing down the curtains on his illustrious career, we take a look at five of his unforgettable moments that will live on in football history:
#5 1995 UEFA Champions League win with Ajax
When Louis van Gaal’s young Ajax took on favourites AC Milan in the final, several would-be Dutch legends combined to give them a 1–0 win and shatter Milan’s dreams of equalling Real Madrid’s then-record of six European Cup titles.
Edwin van der Sar, Danny Blind, Frank de Boer, Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Marc Overmars and several others were packed into one disciplined, tactically sound unit by van Gaal – who would go on to win the World Soccer Manager of the Year award from renowned World Soccer magazine.
Unfortunately for him, it would be the only instance in which he would lift the famous trophy.
#4 Substitutes GK for a penalty shoot-out at 2014 FIFA WC
With Netherlands and Costa Rica heading for a penalty shootout in the quarter-final of FIFA WC 2014, Louis van Gaal would make a shocking substitution in the final minute of extra time – replacing goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul. With the eyes of the whole footballing world watching and weighing up this move, Krul would go on to be the hero – saving 2 penalties to see his side through 4-3.
Whether through sheer luck or a master stroke, Tim Krul and his mind games will live on as one of van Gaal’s greatest moments in international football.
#3 2008/09 Eredivisie win with AZ Alkmaar
When AZ Alkmaar took a massive step back in the season of 2007/08 in the Eredivisie – finishing 11th after having finished 2nd and 3rd in the prior seasons – Louis van Gaal announced he would be leaving the club. However, with several squad members requesting him to stay, he reversed his decision declaring he would give the players a chance to prove themselves.
They did so with great aplomb, finishing the season as champions – the first time in ten years to break the hold that Ajax and PSV Eindhoven had – and claiming only their second ever league title.
The win would end Alkmaar fans’ 28-year wait to be champions and get van Gaal a move to “dream club” Bayern Munich.
#2 Dive on the touchline to complain about referee’s decisions
In the midst of several accusations claiming he did not show enough passion regarding his job in charge of Manchester United, van Gaal would emerge from his seat in the dug-out during a tense game against Arsenal to complain about the referee awarding a decision in Arsenal’s favour for what he thought was a blatant dive by Alexis Sanchez.
In order to make his point clear, he would go on to demonstrate exactly what he thought happened on the pitch, leaving Mike Dean unimpressed but the fans and press with plenty to remember.
Certainly his most memorable moment as United manager, ahead of his own chants of “Louis van Gaal’s red army”.
#1 Drops pants in front of Bayern Munich squad to make a point
After making a couple of substitutions that players were unhappy with, in the 55th minute of a game early in the title winning season of 2009/10, LvG chose to establish his authority using any means necessary by dropping his pants in the dressing room.
The message, as Luca Toni and Mark van Bommel would later share, was that he had the ‘stones’ to drop or select anyone as he wished and he would do whatever he thought was best for the team.
Van Gaal would later confirm the incident himself, saying, “I wanted to make clear: When I make a substitution, I don’t do so for my own ego, but for the sake of the team. I do everything for the team and I use everything I can to illustrate that. My voice, my mind, and everything else I’ve got. This shows the strength of our team spirit.”
