Van Gaal: City scandal contributed to my 'suffering' at United

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Van Gaal: City scandal contributed to my 'suffering' at United.

Remember Manchester United in 2016? Louis van Gaal had to go because his team surrendered Champions League qualification to city rivals City. Just over ten years later, the Dutchman looks back on what he himself describes as his "suffering" — and surprisingly holds the scandal surrounding the rival partly responsible. This is reported by The Athletic.

Van Gaal was Red Devils coach from 2014 to 2016. In the decisive 2015/16 season, United missed out on the Champions League spots, City snatched the crucial position — and the coach was out.

Why does van Gaal cite the City scandal as a burden?

The 74-year-old sees the baggage surrounding Manchester City as an additional pressure factor during an already difficult phase at United. Which specific allegations against City he is referring to exactly is left open by the Athletic report. What becomes clear is: van Gaal holds the unrest in the local derby partly responsible for the tense mood at Old Trafford.

How did the 2016 break come about?

United missed out on the Champions League spots, City ended up better — and the club pulled the emergency brake. Van Gaal had to vacate his post.

What remains of van Gaal's United era?

The fact that he still describes the sacking more than ten years later as "suffering" shows how deep the impact was back then. For him, the situation was not just a sporting problem, but also an environment additionally burdened by the city rival — according to his reading shared with The Athletic.