“It was all about the act of revenge” – Van Gaal makes shocking claim about former club

“It was all about the act of revenge” – Van Gaal makes shocking claim about former club

Ex-Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has made a shocking claim with regards to his former side by saying he turned down the opportunity to manage Belgium so United would have to continue to pay off the remainder of his contract.

Van Gaal was offered the position of Belgium’s head coach in the summer of 2016, only months after being let go prematurely by United, but turned down the job instead leaving Roberto Martinez to assume the position.

Now, Van Gaal has made the astonishing claim that he turned down the role in order to “exact revenge” on his former club.


“It would have been really great if I had become Belgium national coach, but I was so resentful and vindictive that I let that job go by,” Van Gaal told De Volkskrant.

“It was stupid, really, because the sporting value should always come in the first place. That should have been the most important thing. But that’s how I looked at things. It was not about money. It was all about the act of revenge.

Mourinho replaced Van Gaal in 2016, despite the Dutchman having a year left on his contract at Old Trafford.

“I went for my instinct, not the rational. I just have to live with that. I’ve been a really successful manager, so I don’t want to slag the world of football down. I have had a lot of good times.”

Van Gaal spent two seasons at Old Trafford, however was replaced by Jose Mourinho despite winning an FA Cup in 2015/16 – the club’s first trophy since 2013, and has since been out of a job.

“The way Manchester United have treated me was terrible. They have been mean and low.”