| Dutch football coach Date of Birth: 08.08.1951 Country: Netherlands |
Louis van Gaal, a Dutch football manager and former midfielder, began his illustrious career with Ajax Amsterdam. As the club's manager for six years, he left an indelible mark, leading them to three league titles, a UEFA Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, three Dutch Super Cups, and most notably, the UEFA Champions League.
Despite failing to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup with the Dutch national team, van Gaal achieved remarkable success with AZ Alkmaar, guiding them to their second-ever Eredivisie title. A year prior to this triumph, he narrowly escaped dismissal from the club after club president Dick Scheringa ordered his resignation. However, the intervention of key players Stien Schaars, Demy de Zeeuw, and David Mendes da Silva swayed Scheringa's decision.
Van Gaal expressed his desire to return to a major club, which led to an offer from Bayern Munich. In 2009, he signed a contract with the Bundesliga giants.
Under van Gaal's stewardship, Bayern Munich witnessed transformative changes. Anatoly Tymoschuk found himself relegated to the bench while Mark van Bommel regained his role as a defensive midfielder. Van Gaal sanctioned the sale of center-back Lucio to Inter Milan but managed to retain Daniel van Buyten. Luca Toni, the team's primary striker, fell out of favor, and van Gaal risked fielding young players like Holger Badstuber and Thomas Müller. While Badstuber strengthened the left flank of the defense, winger Philipp Lahm was shifted to the problematic right flank. Müller, initially deployed as an attacking midfielder, emerged as a prolific goalscorer and playmaker. However, van Gaal's most astute move was bringing in Arjen Robben, who enjoyed some of the finest moments of his career in Munich.
Van Gaal introduced an innovative tactical approach by converting Schweinsteiger into a defensive midfielder. The decision initially met resistance, but the team eventually adapted and excelled.
Bayern Munich's first victory under van Gaal came only in the fourth round of the Bundesliga. For the entire first half of the season, the club's leadership questioned his appointment. While Bayern struggled to find form, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, under Jupp Heynckes, dominated the league.
The tide began to turn in the winter when Bayern's form picked up. After eliminating Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, van Gaal emerged as a fan favorite.
The 2009/10 season proved to be one of the most successful in Bayern's recent history. They secured a domestic double and reached the UEFA Champions League final.
The following season began poorly for both van Gaal and the team. Injuries to key midfielders Robben and Ribéry left Bayern unable to find suitable replacements. Despite their return after the winter break, they failed to recover their momentum, suffering a series of defeats and exits from the German Cup and UEFA Champions League. In March 2011, the club trailed the league leaders by 16 points and were eight points behind the second-place team. The club's management decided to terminate van Gaal's contract early, on condition that the team would secure third place and qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Despite plans to keep van Gaal until the end of the season, Bayern's management dismissed him in April 2011 following a 1-1 draw with Nürnberg. His assistant, Andries Jonker, took over as interim manager with the task of guiding the team to a top-three finish and Champions League qualification.