Louis van Gaal facts for kids
Van Gaal in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 August 1951 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Ajax (advisor) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| RKSV de Meer | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| RKSV de Meer | ||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1973 | Ajax | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1973–1977 | Royal Antwerp | 41 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Telstar | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1978–1986 | Sparta Rotterdam | 248 | (26) | |||||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | AZ | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 331 | (34) | ||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1997 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Barcelona | |||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Netherlands U20 | |||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Barcelona | |||||||||||||||
| 2005–2009 | AZ | |||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Bayern Munich | |||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Manchester United | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal (born 8 August 1951) is a famous Dutch former football player and manager. He is currently an advisor for Ajax. Van Gaal is known for being one of the most successful football managers ever. He has won many major trophies with big clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United. He also managed the Netherlands national team three times.
Before becoming a coach, Van Gaal played as a midfielder for several teams. He was also a qualified physical education teacher. After being an assistant coach, he took over as head coach at Ajax in 1991. There, he led the team to win three league titles, the UEFA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League. He then moved to Barcelona and won two league titles. Later, he managed the Netherlands national team, then returned to club football, winning titles with AZ and Bayern Munich. He led the Netherlands to a third-place finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also won the FA Cup with Manchester United. Van Gaal retired from management in 2022 after his third time coaching the Netherlands.
Contents
Playing and Early Coaching Career
Louis van Gaal was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He started playing football for an amateur team called RKSV de Meer. When he was 20, he joined the second team of Ajax. However, he never played for the main Ajax team, which had famous players like Johan Cruyff at the time.
He was loaned to a Belgian team, Royal Antwerp, where he was a runner-up in the Belgian league twice. After four years in Belgium, he returned to the Netherlands. He played for Telstar and then Sparta Rotterdam. In 1986, he joined AZ and also became an assistant coach there. After a short time at AZ, he went back to Ajax to be an assistant coach under Leo Beenhakker. When Beenhakker left in 1991, Van Gaal became the main manager.
Management Career Highlights
Ajax (1991–1997)
Van Gaal was the manager of Ajax from 1991 to 1997. It was a very successful time for the club. Under his leadership, Ajax won the Eredivisie (Dutch league) three times: in 1994, 1995, and 1996. In the 1994–95 season, they were amazing, staying unbeaten in both the league and the UEFA Champions League.
He also led Ajax to win the KNVB Cup in 1993 and the Johan Cruyff Shield three times. In Europe, Ajax won the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the UEFA Champions League in 1995. They beat Milan in the final. After that, they won the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. Ajax also reached the Champions League final again in 1996 but lost on penalties.
Many Ajax players from Van Gaal's team, like Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars, and Edwin van der Sar, became key players for the Netherlands national team.
Barcelona (1997–2000)
In 1997, Van Gaal moved to Barcelona in Spain. He helped the team win two La Liga titles (in 1998 and 1999) and the Copa del Rey once. Even with this success, he sometimes had disagreements with the media and some players. He felt it was hard to make his football ideas work perfectly in Spain due to cultural differences. He left Barcelona in May 2000.
Netherlands National Team (2000–2002)
After Barcelona, Van Gaal became the manager of the Netherlands. His goal was to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. However, the team had a tough time in the qualification games. They failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. Van Gaal stepped down as manager in January 2002.
Return to Barcelona (2002–2003)
Van Gaal returned to Barcelona for the 2002–03 season. The team had mixed results. They did well in the Champions League, winning ten matches in a row. But in the Spanish league, La Liga, they struggled. After some difficult matches, he left the club in January 2003.
AZ (2005–2009)
In 2005, Van Gaal became the manager of AZ. Under him, AZ finished second in the Eredivisie in 2006 and third in 2007. He also led AZ to the KNVB Cup final in 2007.
At first, Van Gaal thought about leaving AZ in 2008 because of disappointing results. But the players wanted him to stay. The team then had an amazing 2008–09 season. They started with two losses but then went unbeaten for 28 games. AZ won the Eredivisie title in 2009, which was only the club's second league title ever!
Bayern Munich (2009–2011)
On 1 July 2009, Van Gaal became the coach of Bayern Munich in Germany. He called it a "dream club." He signed Dutch player Arjen Robben, who helped the team a lot.
Van Gaal's start at Bayern was a bit slow. But he kept saying his team needed time to play his way. He brought in many young players like Thomas Müller and Holger Badstuber into the main team. He also changed Bastian Schweinsteiger from a winger to a defensive midfielder.
Bayern's performance got much better. They won the Bundesliga (German league) on 8 May 2010, making Van Gaal the first Dutch coach to win it. On 15 May 2010, Bayern also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup), completing a domestic "double." They also reached the Champions League final but lost to Internazionale. Van Gaal was voted Manager of the Year in Germany for that season. He left Bayern in April 2011.
Return to Netherlands National Team (2012–2014)
On 6 July 2012, Van Gaal became the Netherlands coach again. He led the team through their 2014 World Cup qualification. They won nine out of ten matches and qualified easily.
At the World Cup in Brazil, many people didn't expect much from the Dutch team. But in their first game, Van Gaal's team surprised everyone by beating the defending champions Spain 5–1! This win was partly because of Van Gaal's smart tactics, using a 3–5–2 formation instead of the usual 4–3–3.
The Netherlands won all their group matches. They then beat Mexico 2–1 in the round of 16. In the quarter-finals against Costa Rica, Van Gaal made a famous decision. He substituted his main goalkeeper, Jasper Cillessen, for Tim Krul just before the penalty shootout. Krul saved two penalties, sending the Netherlands to the semi-finals. They lost to Argentina in another penalty shootout. Van Gaal's time as manager ended on 12 July 2014, after the Netherlands beat Brazil 3–0 to finish third in the World Cup.
Manchester United (2014–2016)
On 19 May 2014, Louis van Gaal was announced as the new manager for Manchester United in England. He was the first manager from outside the British Isles for the club. He signed a three-year contract after the 2014 World Cup. He brought in Ryan Giggs as his assistant manager.
Van Gaal made several new signings, including Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Ángel Di María, Daley Blind, and Radamel Falcao.
His first competitive game was a 2–1 home loss to Swansea City. Manchester United also lost 4–0 to a lower-league team, Milton Keynes Dons, in the League Cup. However, the team's form improved as the season went on. They had a good run of wins in the league. In his first season, Van Gaal led Manchester United to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
2015–16 Season
For the 2015–16 season, Van Gaal brought in more players like Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Anthony Martial.
United qualified for the Champions League group stage. They even reached the top of the Premier League in September. However, they were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage.
On 21 May 2016, Van Gaal won his only trophy with Manchester United: the FA Cup. His team beat Crystal Palace 2–1 after extra time. This win meant United matched Arsenal's record of 12 FA Cups at the time. Two days later, Van Gaal and his Dutch staff were let go by the club.
Third Stint at Netherlands National Team (2021–2022)
On 4 August 2021, Van Gaal came out of retirement to manage the Netherlands national team for a third time. He replaced Frank de Boer.
His first match back was a 1–1 draw against Norway. In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands finished first in their group. They then defeated the United States 3–1 in the round of 16. On 9 December, Van Gaal's team lost to Argentina on penalties in the quarter-finals. After this, Van Gaal resigned as head coach. He had managed 20 matches in his third time, without a single defeat in regular play.
Style of Management
Louis van Gaal is seen as one of the greatest and most successful football managers ever. He has inspired many other coaches, including José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, who were once his assistants or players. Because of his strict and strong way of managing, he was sometimes called the "Iron Tulip." However, Van Gaal himself didn't like this nickname, as he felt he was always fair.
Even though he sometimes had disagreements with players or the media, he was known for his strong leadership. He often saw himself as a "relationship" manager, focusing on the mental side of the game. He was also very good at helping young players grow and develop, especially during his time at Ajax in the 1990s.
Van Gaal believed in playing attractive, attacking football based on keeping possession of the ball. His teams were known for quick passing and players who could play in different positions. He also used a high defensive line and pressed opponents when they didn't have the ball.
At the 2014 World Cup, he changed his style for the Netherlands team. He used a more defensive, counter-attacking approach with a 5–3–2 formation. This worked very well against Spain's "tiki-taka" style. He used a similar approach in the 2022 World Cup. During his time at Manchester United, some people criticized him for using "long ball" tactics, but Van Gaal denied this.
Personal Life
Louis van Gaal is the youngest of nine children. His father passed away when Louis was 11 years old. He met his first wife, Fernanda Obbes, at a Catholic youth group when he was 18. They married three years later and had two daughters, Brenda and Renate. Sadly, Fernanda died in 1994 from cancer. In 2008, Van Gaal married his current wife, Truus.
In 2022, Van Gaal shared that he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer. Later, he announced that his treatment was successful.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ajax | 1971–72 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1972–73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Royal Antwerp | 1973–74 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | |
| 1974–75 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| 1975–76 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 25 | 6 | |
| 1976–77 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| Total | 41 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 57 | 11 | |
| Telstar | 1977–78 | 25 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 1 | ||
| Sparta Rotterdam | 1978–79 | 31 | 5 | — | — | 31 | 5 | ||
| 1979–80 | 33 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| 1980–81 | 33 | 5 | — | — | 33 | 5 | |||
| 1981–82 | 24 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| 1982–83 | 33 | 5 | — | — | 33 | 5 | |||
| 1983–84 | 34 | 2 | — | 6 | 0 | 40 | 2 | ||
| 1984–85 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 1985–86 | 31 | 3 | — | 4 | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| Total | 248 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 261 | 26 | |
| AZ | 1986–87 | 17 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 0 | ||
| Career totals | 331 | 34 | 15 | 4 | 14 | 0 | 360 | 38 | |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | Ref. | |||
| Ajax | 28 September 1991 | 30 June 1997 | 285 | 196 | 49 | 40 | 68.77 | |
| Barcelona | 1 July 1997 | 20 May 2000 | 171 | 95 | 32 | 44 | 55.56 | |
| Netherlands | 7 July 2000 | 30 November 2001 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 57.14 | |
| Barcelona | 1 July 2002 | 28 January 2003 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 53.33 | |
| AZ | 1 July 2005 | 30 June 2009 | 182 | 105 | 39 | 38 | 57.69 | |
| Bayern Munich | 1 July 2009 | 10 April 2011 | 96 | 59 | 18 | 19 | 61.46 | |
| Netherlands | 6 July 2012 | 12 July 2014 | 29 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 65.52 | |
| Manchester United | 16 July 2014 | 23 May 2016 | 103 | 54 | 25 | 24 | 52.43 | |
| Netherlands | 4 August 2021 | 9 December 2022 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 70.00 | |
| Total | 930 | 566 | 186 | 178 | 60.86 | |||
Honours and Awards
Manager
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96
- KNVB Cup: 1992–93
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 1993, 1994, 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1994–95; runner-up: 1995–96
- UEFA Cup: 1991–92
- UEFA Super Cup: 1995
- Intercontinental Cup: 1995
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1997–98, 1998–99
- Copa del Rey: 1997–98
- UEFA Super Cup: 1997
AZ
- Eredivisie: 2008–09
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2009–10
- DFB-Pokal: 2009–10
- DFL-Supercup: 2010
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2009–10
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2015–16
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2014
Awards and Achievements
- World Soccer Manager of the Year: 1995
- Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 1995
- El País Manager of the Year: 1995
- Rinus Michels Award: 2007, 2009
- Dutch Sports Coach of the Year: 2009, 2014
- Football Manager of the Year (Germany): 2010
- Anton Geesink Award: 2015
- Dutch Lifetime Achievement Award: 2017
- France Football 18th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019
- Eredivisie Oeuvre Award: 2023
Orders
- Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 1997
See also
In Spanish: Louis van Gaal para niños
- List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers
- List of UEFA Cup winning managers
