Louis Van Gaal Returns as Netherlands Manager for the Third Time

Former Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal has come out of retirement and signed an 18-month contract with the Dutch national team to

be the manager. Van Gaal, 69, has agreed to lead the talented but inexperienced Dutch eleven to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the tabloid De Telegraaf reported.

This will be his third stint as the manager of the national team, and he’ll hope to make the best of it. The no-nonsense manager’s appointment follows the resignation of Frank de Boer late last month after the Netherlands’ dismal Euro 2020 last-16 elimination by the Czech Republic.

Since then, the KNVB has scrambled to find a replacement ahead of the team’s next international against Norway on September 1. His second stint with the Netherlands was impressive as he led a relatively weak dutch squad to third place in the 2014 World Cup.

However, it was a disaster for the Dutch manager when he first took over the national team. He left Barcelona after winning two league titles and became the Dutch manager in 2000. This became one of the lowest points of his managerial career as the Netherlands failed to qualify for the world cup for the first time since 1986. Van Gaal stepped down from the post shortly after.

The Dutch players available for Louis Van Gaal

After a few years of mediocrity, Netherlands has one of the best squads it has ever had in quite a long time. They have three world-class center-backs in Virgil Van Dijk, Matthijs De Ligt and Stefan de Vrij. With Barcelona forward Memphis Depay leading the line along with Donyell Malen and Steven Berghuis, they have a great attack too.

They have Wout Weghorst coming off the bench after his incredible season at Wolfsburg, and the Dutch national team has one of the best midfielders in the world in Frenkie De Jong running the game for them. It’ll be interesting to see what Van Gaal can do with this young side, but there is a lot of potential here.

Do you think Louis Van Gaal is still an elite manager?

Read more: “He Went Away to Reflect for a Bit.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Provides Update on Marcus Rashford in Manchester United After EURO 2020 Upset.