What motivates Louis van Gaal for his last dance with Netherlands at World Cup?

DOHA, Qatar -- The speech betwixt Louis van Gaal and the writer was short, but it captured the essence of the Netherlands' manager: assured and belligerent, but wholly assured successful his ain ability.

Of the galore somewhat tense moments betwixt the media and Van Gaal -- some present astatine the World Cup and implicit the people of his 36-year career, with spells arsenic a caput manager astatine Ajax, Barcelona (twice), AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich and Manchester United -- this 1 came aft Netherlands' 2-0 triumph implicit hosts Qatar. It was Van Gaal's 18th lucifer successful complaint and successful his 3rd spell with the nationalist team. They'd been unbeaten successful each 18. It was a dire game, but Netherlands got the triumph they needed to apical the group.

Van Gaal, 71, said helium was delighted with the win. A writer mentioned that determination was immoderate disapproval backmost location implicit the benignant and mode of the triumph: successful short, immoderate had recovered the show boring. But to Van Gaal astatine this World Cup, it's astir substance implicit style. He wants wins and doesn't attraction however they come, nor volition helium perceive to thing contrary to his mode of seeing things.

"Of people you tin springiness your opinion," Van Gaal said successful effect to the questions of benignant and aesthetics. "I don't hold with you and I'm not going to grow connected that due to the fact that I deliberation that you person a antithetic position connected shot than I have. Write it down that it's boring and that you're going location time due to the fact that you couldn't attraction less."

The writer responded: "I'm present until the final." Van Gaal fired back: "Excellent, I'll spot you there."

- World Cup 2022: News and features | Schedule

Van Gaal came to the World Cup with a extremity to triumph the tournament. Some managers are apologetic successful their ambition, shying distant from bold predictions. Not Van Gaal. Having learned from his 2 erstwhile tenures with the nationalist team, helium was going to beryllium bullish, connected the beforehand foot, squeezing 1 past driblet of quality and ambition retired of the squad. They are hard astatine enactment preparing for a quarterfinal day with Argentina, conscionable days aft comfortably defeating a US broadside galore thought had the younker and aggression to prevail.

Yet, for truthful long, it looked similar Van Gaal was done with management. When the Dutch came calling for him, it had been 5 years betwixt jobs. In that clip he'd settled successful the Algarve with his wife, Truus, and played play virtually each day. But determination was inactive an itch of unfinished business; the lure of having 1 past changeable astatine the World Cup proved to beryllium excessively tempting.

Truus didn't privation her hubby to instrumentality the Netherlands job. When the vacancy came up aft the Oranje's poor Euro 2020 run -- they won each 3 radical games, lone to suffer 2-0 to the Czech Republic successful the circular of 16 -- he'd already done much than capable for 1 footballing career. As a manager, he'd won trophies with Ajax, Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and AZ, successful summation to 2 spells successful complaint of Netherlands.

Then determination was his health: helium was receiving attraction for prostate crab and perhaps, it was clip to dilatory down. But that telephone of work proved to beryllium excessively overmuch of a draw, and helium was formally appointed arsenic Netherlands' nationalist squad manager successful August 2021.

Days aft the men's squad limped retired of the delayed Euro 2020 championship, Van Gaal addressed the women's squad, past managed by Sarina Wiegman, arsenic they were preparing to caput to the Olympics. Wiegman past called connected Van Gaal for immoderate advice.

"Just look astatine the [men's] European Championship [side]," Van Gaal told them. "There you spot a clump of elite stars that can't bash it. I've ever seen that nether [coach] Sarina [Wiegman], determination is simply a squad that goes done fire. So marque definite that you, arsenic a team, spell to the Olympics and spell for gold."

Van Gaal's views connected the authorities of the men's squad were self-evident: they had the talent, but nary cohesion. They weren't a team. Roughly a period aft that speech, connected Aug. 4, 2021, helium was handed the situation of solving those problems. It's just to accidental he'd been determination before, too. In his erstwhile 2 spells successful complaint of the Netherlands team, Van Gaal had endured the symptom of not qualifying for the 2002 World Cup weighed up against their bronze medal successful 2014.

"You consciousness that possibly helium had an unfinished job, which helium wanted to finish," erstwhile Netherlands planetary Ronald de Boer told ESPN. "In a abbreviated play of time, helium tin bring a squad unneurotic and marque them judge successful a cause. I deliberation helium truly thinks he's the man. And that is thing I perceive radical telephone it arrogance, but it's not, it's conscionable the mode helium is."

Those adjacent to him accidental Van Gaal saw the squad successful the delayed Euro 2020 contention arsenic a radical of superb individuals, alternatively than a corporate unite. Forging that "band of brothers" mentality was apical of his to-do list: make a radical stronger than sum of their parts and they'd person a accidental astatine success.

His archetypal quality league connected Aug. 17, 2021, was emblematic Van Gaal. He opened by referring to a career-long turbulent narration with the media: "A renewed acquaintance with my friends of the media. This is something, isn't it guys?" He spoke of the work attached to the relation -- "I americium not doing it for myself, I americium doing it for Dutch football" -- and portion the players he'd already spoken to said they favoured a 4-3-3 system, Van Gaal planned to instrumentality to his principles of a hybrid 3-5-2. There would beryllium immoderate adjustments, but the squad would play arsenic helium wanted them to.

The archetypal public-facing clash came implicit reports that defender Virgil van Dijk, his skipper to be, had opposed Van Gaal's appointment. "Me and Virgil talked astir this successful our archetypal conversation," Van Gaal said. "I asked him this. I looked him consecutive successful the eyes, and helium told maine it's not true. So that taxable is over."

Two months later, Van Gaal was criticised for appearing to beryllium "grumpy" successful quality conferences. "There's thing I tin bash astir that," Van Gaal said successful response. "I reply the mode I am. If you inquire questions of which I deliberation 'you can't inquire this,' I volition close you. I did this my full beingness and I won't change."

Van Gaal was increasing progressively frustrated astatine journalists revealing his starting XI immoderate 24 hours earlier games, but helium was dilatory moulding a squad helium felt was susceptible of winning the World Cup, accounting for adjacent the astir improbable of misfortune. Then, connected Nov. 14, 2021, helium fell disconnected his bike, injuring his hip. He was rushed to infirmary and confined to a wheelchair. The autumn came conscionable 2 days earlier their cardinal World Cup qualifying clash with Norway successful Rotterdam, but Van Gaal had a solution: helium organised and called the grooming sessions from a play cart. He had to bash the prematch quality league implicit Zoom, incapable to acceptable his wheelchair done the room's door.

With Van Gaal watching from precocious up successful the stands sitting successful his wheelchair, his Netherlands bushed Norway 2-0. Job done and qualification secured; Van Gaal was heading to his 2nd World Cup. He was tearful aft the match, reflecting connected however the players made him committedness he'd enactment successful the campy contempt his injuries. "Yes, I americium an affectional man," helium said. "When the players and unit archer you they privation you to stay..." His dependable cracked and helium took a infinitesimal to constitute himself earlier the adjacent question.

But determination was his secret. Beneath each this assurance was a antheral battling prostate cancer.

play

1:03

Sebastian Salazar reacts to an underwhelming Argentina triumph vs. Australia successful the circular of 16.

Van Gaal had already experienced and managed the unrelenting brutality of the disease. In 1994, his archetypal woman Fernanda died of pancreatic and liver cancer. In the fantastic documentary "Louis," Van Gaal talks astir the experience, alongside his 2 daughters Brenda and Renate. The symptom was evident: a representation of Fernanda sits proudly successful his office.

When Van Gaal received his ain diagnosis, helium work up connected the illness and noticed that if it was caught early, determination was a 90% occurrence complaint with treatment.

Truus was terrified of losing him. He stayed resolute successful nationalist situations, but you could spot hints of his struggle. Van Gaal loves golf: that overmuch is wide from the documentary. Often erstwhile helium ponders the finer, much intimate parts of life, it's connected the play course. Perhaps the distraction allows him to escaped his caput a little, distant from his office, wherever determination are pads of insubstantial with tactical formations and mementos of his vocation lining the walls.

In the documentary, he's asked astir however the attraction is going and responds portion weighing up an robust changeable connected the fairway.

"The archetypal 3 weeks aft the radiation attraction were disastrous," Van Gaal said. "After each radiation session, I had each the imaginable broadside effects. But they're not conscionable owed to the radiation. You besides get an injection to code down your antheral hormones. It wholly wipes retired the libido. I besides person a catheter, which doesn't assistance erstwhile you privation to marque love. But let's proceed with golf, arsenic it's getting alternatively intimate."

Netherlands' nationalist squad didn't cognize helium was going done this until helium yet revealed it successful an interrogation connected April 4, 2022. "I person a batch of subject and willpower," helium said successful that interview. "I tin bash the occupation due to the fact that I similar it. I similar to enactment with this squad. This is simply a contiguous for maine astatine a precocious age, this is however I spot it. I didn't privation to archer my players due to the fact that it could person influenced their performances."

Van Gaal kept the crab diagnosis from his players arsenic agelong arsenic helium could. Underneath his tracksuit was a catheter and colostomy bag, some temporarily secured to him owed to the brutality of the radiation regimen helium has to follow. When players would spot him with his cheeks flushed, helium told them it was a motion of him being steadfast erstwhile it was truly owed to the pain of the crab treatment.

This susceptible (yet inactive resolute) code was a stark alteration to Van Gaal's known persona. Just a fortnight earlier, helium had caused contention by questioning FIFA's telephone to springiness the World Cup to Qatar. "It's ridiculous that the World Cup is being hosted successful Qatar," Van Gaal had said. "FIFA says they privation to 'develop shot successful Qatar.' Well, that's bulls---. It's astir wealth and commercialized interests: that's the lone happening that matters for FIFA."

He'd besides dismissed the UEFA European Conference League arsenic a "Frick and Frack" competition, but privately, helium was profoundly touched by the affection and interest his players showed. He received a substance from winger Steven Berghuis wishing him well. Van Gaal responded: "Thank you. I conscionable anticipation you are acceptable to go World Champion."

"This touched me," Berghuis said. "We judge successful his words."

play

1:46

Gregg Berhalter talks to Sam Borden aft the USMNT's World Cup exit astatine the hands of the Netherlands.

The Van Gaal we've seen successful Qatar implicit the past period is simply a somewhat much measured mentation of the 1 from a mates of decades ago. Age tin inevitably blunt immoderate edges, but don't mistake that for softness.

"Everyone looks backmost astatine beingness and wonders if you tin bash thing different," De Boer said. "People accidental he's softened up, but I don't agree. I deliberation helium knows that each procreation is different, that your different expectations, different values, oregon immoderate shift, and he's adapting to that. So I don't deliberation he's changed arsenic a person."

If provoked, helium tin beryllium conscionable arsenic belligerent arsenic ever, but this is what makes Van Gaal the eventual Rorschach trial in football: 1 man's belligerence is another's unwavering condemnation successful their ain ability. As helium famously said to 1 writer backmost successful 1996: "Am I the 1 who is truthful smart, oregon are you truthful stupid?"

Author Hugo Borst has adjacent dedicated a publication to trying to enactment retired who Van Gaal is, called "O, Louis -- In Search of Louis van Gaal." He speaks to assorted figures extracurricular of shot -- writers, poets, a psychiatrist and adjacent a cleric -- successful an effort to get to the bosom of Van Gaal's personality. The writer himself utilized to person a adjacent narration with Van Gaal, but 1 time the manager accused him of passing connected his mobile fig to different journalist. Borst hadn't, and truthful asked for an apology, adjacent penning him a missive explaining however helium felt. The apology ne'er came.

Then determination was Van Gaal's uneasy narration with Johan Cruyff. The 2 were some apprentices of the large Rinus Michels and cared profoundly astir Dutch football, but up until Cruyff's decease successful 2016, they simply did not spot oculus to eye. Though they were some successful the pantheon of the country's greats, the differences successful however they saw the game, the power of ego and the claustrophobia of the Dutch shot abstraction meant determination was a chasm driven betwixt them. Cruyff had a relation successful Van Gaal not getting the Ajax wide manager relation successful 2011, and the 2 would ne'er reconcile their differences.

Van Gaal besides divided sentiment among his erstwhile players. There are immoderate who despised him. Take Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who worked with Van Gaal during his little spell arsenic Ajax method manager successful 2004. "Van Gaal was a pompous ass," Ibrahimovic wrote successful his 2011 autobiography 'I americium Zlatan Ibrahmovic.' "He wanted to beryllium a dictator without a hint of gleam successful his eye. As a player, he'd ne'er stood out, but helium was revered successful the Netherlands due to the fact that arsenic a manager, he'd won the Champions League with Ajax and received immoderate medal from the government."

But for each Zlatan oregon Rivaldo (who besides fell retired with Van Gaal), determination are others who curse by him. Rafael van der Vaart -- who worked nether him astatine Ajax and Netherlands -- told ESPN that Van Gaal is "an astonishing coach, honorable and fair."

Defender Andre Ooijer was called up by Van Gaal during his archetypal spell successful complaint of Netherlands. "As a youngster you are a spot frightened of him, arsenic erstwhile you marque it to the archetypal team, it doesn't substance if you are 17 oregon 37, helium expects the aforesaid from you," Ooijer, who won 55 caps, told ESPN. "I tin recognize for immoderate it's hard to enactment with him arsenic he's a straightforward guy, and there's no-nonsense. It's his mode oregon the highway. He says what helium thinks. But I loved moving with him."

play

1:46

Herc Gomez feels Louis van Gaal tactically outmanaged Gregg Berhalter successful USA's exit from the Qatar World Cup astatine the past 16 stage.

De Boer has known Van Gaal astir of his life. When Ronald and his member Frank were breaking done astatine Ajax, Van Gaal -- past successful complaint of the academy -- utilized to thrust them to training.

"I retrieve we were successful the kids' country astatine Ajax, preparing to spell connected the transportation and putting our shot boots on," helium said. "It was emblematic Louis: helium enactment his look astir 10cm distant from your look and asked maine successful his emblematic Louis mode ... 'Are you going to beryllium a large shot player?' And you're excessively frightened to accidental nary and you're reasoning 'Maybe, well, I'll effort to!' But you don't privation to springiness the incorrect answer, truthful I said 'Yes, of course, coach!' And helium responded 'Good, due to the fact that I'm going to beryllium a large shot manager!'

"His self-belief was truthful overmuch stronger than mine. He truly believed successful it and himself."

These days, they are adjacent friends. "He's similar my 2nd dad," De Boer added. "He's a lukewarm person, though determination are a batch of radical don't spot that. For example, my spouse Suze, she has thing to bash with football, she doesn't cognize anybody and doesn't attraction astir it. We've had Louis implicit for meal a mates of times, and she perfectly loves him. They don't speech astir shot easily, but she sees him arsenic a person, a lukewarm person, and precise truly funny successful the different person's beingness and conscionable listens. He doesn't speech astir himself, helium conscionable listens."

Talking to players and those astir the campy successful Qatar, they azygous retired 2 qualities supra each that Van Gaal values: loyalty and honesty. "If you accidental 1 happening and bash another, he'll spot it arsenic a betrayal," De Boer said.

Van Gaal has stayed adjacent to Van Dijk, crowning him arsenic the 4th large skipper he's worked with alongside Danny Blind (Ajax), Pep Guardiola (Barcelona) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich.) He often extols Memphis Depay's qualities and talks astir Cody Gakpo arsenic if he's 1 of his ain children, but helium is besides unwilling to speech astir players from different teams. He'll inactive lone spell into item connected a player's qualities if helium knows them arsenic a person.

He's not shied distant from arguable calls with his World Cup squad, either. Before the tournament, Van Gaal held a goalkeeping session astatine 1 of the grooming sessions, calling successful 5 goalkeepers. Tim Krul, who performed heroics backmost successful the 2014 World Cup erstwhile Van Gaal brought him connected conscionable earlier the punishment shootout against Costa Rica, opted against travelling to the session. Van Gaal responded by ruling Krul retired of contention for the World Cup.

Then determination was his prime of starting goalkeeper successful Qatar. The uncapped Andries Noppert had performed good for Heerenveen this play successful the Eredivisie and portion determination were much established options available, Van Gaal listened to Frans Hoek, his goalkeeping coach, and ended up giving Noppert the gloves for their opener against Senegal. This prime meant longtime No.1 Jasper Cillessen was omitted from the squad, and Van Gaal's determination scrutinised. He responded to queries implicit the logic of picking Noppert by referring to however helium handed Edwin van der Sar successful his Ajax debut astatine property 19. For his part, Noppert has repaid Van Gaal's religion with a drawstring of coagulated performances.

"[Van Gaal] doesn't attraction what different radical think," Ooijer said. "He looks astatine the champion mode to triumph a game, and helium doesn't attraction astir what different radical are saying oregon shouting. It's his feeling and helium doesn't springiness a s--- what different radical are reasoning about."

You tin spot from Van Gaal's interactions with his players that they're fond of him. Take the prematch quality league earlier the US game: defender Daley Blind smiled astatine the Van Gaal-isms arsenic helium dispatched immoderate questions from the media, and besides enjoyed immoderate plaudits heading his way. There was a look of admiration and reverence.

The players besides took inspiration from Van Gaal's crab fight. "Of people it gives america much combat and motivation," Van Dijk said. "We are each quality beings and erstwhile the quality came retired it was a daze for us, it was pugnacious but it was important we showed our support. He's a precise beardown antheral and outspoken, but we wanted to beryllium determination for him. It's ne'er casual for him to woody with the full concern but I deliberation he's dealing with it fantastically. He's our manager, we volition combat for him regardless. He's a large quality being, precise nonstop and we volition decidedly spell that other gait knowing this is the past World Cup for him."

When Van Gaal took the job, helium was unapologetic astir his ambition. "I person a brain," helium said. "I cognize that it won't beryllium casual to triumph the World Cup, but this manager often has the luck connected his side. Our squad is amazing. And the prime of this squad is higher than the squad successful 2014."

At each opportunity, Van Gaal reinforced the message, rejecting suggestions helium was piling excessively overmuch unit connected his group. "I deliberation you ever person to place the goal, the intent for which you are here," helium said aft their triumph implicit Qatar. "Then you tin enactment your mode towards that purpose. I ne'er said we're going to go satellite champion -- I said we tin go it, that we person a chance, and the players person besides go convinced of that."

In the tally up to their lucifer against the US, we asked those reporters who'd followed Van Gaal intimately for decades to picture the manager successful 1 word. Their answers were: "flamboyant," "extrovert," "crazy," (with the qualification, adjacent to genius) "authentic," "unpredictable" and "unique." Slightly differing opinions, but astir came backmost to 1 corporate presumption connected the manager: we've been fortunate to person him, and we're going to miss him immensely.

So, with his clip successful complaint of Netherlands coming towards an end, it remains to beryllium seen what helium does next. He's kept the doorway unfastened to different determination -- Belgium, anyone? -- but those adjacent to him expect this to beryllium his last job. "We mightiness spot him connected TV a small bit, and supporting bully causes," De Boer said. "He shares the aforesaid lukewarm bosom for the foundation Muscles for Muscles [supporting children with spinal muscular atrophy]. But helium has his location successful Portugal with Truus and helium spends clip coming up and down to spot his grandkids. I'm definite this was his past dance. We volition ne'er spot different manager similar Louis van Gaal. Never again."