Manchester United have sacked Louis van Gaal after a poor season where the club finished fifth and missed out on qualifying for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons. The 64-year-old manager had signed a three-year contract in 2014 after leading Netherlands to a third-place finish in the World Cup but has seen his tenure cut short by a full season.
The club released a statement on Monday evening wishing him the best for the future and also mentioning that the new manager would be announced soon.
“I would like to thank Louis and his staff for their excellent work in the past two years culminating in winning a record-equalling 12th FA Cup for the club. He has behaved with great professionalism and dignity throughout his time here.
“He leaves us with a legacy of having given several young players the confidence to show their ability on the highest stage. Everyone at the club wishes him all the best in the future.” – Ed Woodward, Executive vice chairman
Although the Dutchman helped the Red Devils win their first trophy post the Sir Alex Ferguson era – an FA Cup win after defeating Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday – it wasn’t enough to save his job. Reports of Jose Mourinho taking over have gathered steam in the past week after it was leaked to the press just before the final whistle at Wembley.
It is understood that his backroom staff – assistants Albert Stuivenberg, Frans Hoek and Max Reckers (his performance analyst) – have also been sacked. Van Gaal will reportedly receive a £400,000 bonus for winning the FA Cup and will also receive approximately £4.5m for having his contract terminated a year early.
Van Gaal releases statement
The Dutch manager also released his own statement saying it was an honour to manage a club like Manchester United and that he was ‘disappointed at being unable to complete his three-year plan’.
“I am immensely proud to have helped United win the FA Cup for the 12th time in the club's history,” Van Gaal said. “I have been privileged during my management career to have won 20 trophies but winning the FA Cup, which is steeped in so much history, will always be one of the most special achievements of my career.”
“I hope that winning the FA Cup will give the club a platform to build upon next season to restore the success that this passionate set of fans desire.”
Van Gaal also thanked the fans for their support during his time at Old Trafford and also personally thanked Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton for making him ‘feel so welcome’ at the club.
“I would also like to express my gratitude to the amazing United supporters. They are truly the best fans in the world.
“Finally, my special thanks go to Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton for always making me and my family feel so welcome throughout my time as Manchester United manager.”
How Manchester United fared under Van Gaal
The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona manager had taken over from David Moyes, who was sacked following United’s dismal campaign. The Old Trafford club had finished seventh in the 2013/14 season but the Scottish manager was let go as soon as United were mathematically ruled out of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League.
Van Gaal had improved United’s performances in his first season in charge and ensured the club returned to the Champions League with a fourth-place finish in the 2014/15 season. The signs were promising at the start of the 2015/16 season as well as the Red Devils topped the table in September.
But they soon capitulated and eventually relinquished their hold on the top four. They were also knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage after failing to beat Wolfsburg and PSV Eindhoven in what was initially thought to be a relatively easy group on paper.
In the Premier League alone, United were the best defensive team, conceding only 35 goals. But at the other end of the pitch, they struggled to score goals. The Red Devils only scored 49 goals in the league – the worst record among the top eight teams.
Europa League disappointment also followed after arch rivals and finalists Liverpool knocked them out of the competition in the Round of 16. Jurgen Klopp’s side had won the game at Anfield and held United to a draw at Old Trafford to progress.
The biggest grouse has been the amount of money spent in the transfer market to sign players and yet finish outside the top four. United spent as much as £261.7m in the Dutchman’s two years in charge.
However, he has been praised for sticking to the club’s ethos of utilising youngsters from the club’s academy and handing them debuts this season. In fact, no other club had their teenagers play more minutes in the league this season than Manchester United.
