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Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has been absent from club management for several years.
The 72-year-old’s last stint in club football was a two-season tenure at Manchester United, which he joined in 2014.
In his first season, Van Gaal led United back to the Champions League. However, he was unable to replicate this success in his second season, with the team finishing fifth.
In 2016, Van Gaal secured the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Wembley but was dismissed just days after the triumph.
He was succeeded by Jose Mourinho. In 2017, Van Gaal announced he was taking a sabbatical from football management and confirmed his retirement in 2019.
Nonetheless, in 2021, Van Gaal came out of retirement to coach the Netherlands for a third time, succeeding Frank de Boer.
He led the Dutch national team in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the eventual winners, Argentina.
Following the team’s exit, Van Gaal resigned from his position and has not been involved in football management since.
Throughout his career, Van Gaal has managed some of Europe’s top clubs, including Manchester United, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich.
Louis Van Gaal reveals he turned down former club
Recently, the Dutchman revealed that Bayern Munich approached him to become Thomas Tuchel’s successor this summer, but he turned down the offer.
Speaking to ESPN, he said, “I am now reasonably healthy again. I could do it, but not as a club coach.
“I was asked by Bayern Munich, even before Kompany [to manage them].
“As a national coach, you are busy for eight periods and during the year you scout with your staff. That could still be possible.”
Van Gaal has previously overcome prostate cancer and appears now only willing to consider roles as a national team coach, avoiding the daily demands of club management.
He had a successful spell with Bayern Munich between 2009 and 2011, during which he won the Bundesliga and German Cup and reached the Champions League final, where Bayern were runners-up to Inter Milan in 2010.
Following Tuchel’s departure, Bayern appointed former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, who joined the Allianz Arena after a two-year managerial spell at Burnley.
This decision reflects Van Gaal’s current preference for the less demanding schedule of international management over the rigorous day-to-day responsibilities associated with club football.
His illustrious career, marked by significant achievements at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, now sees him contemplating only national team roles while he maintains his health.
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