Football is waving goodbye to Louis van Gaal after the Dutchman confirmed he will not be making a comeback.
The 65-year-old has been without a club since being sacked by Manchester United last May and had until now claimed he was on sabbatical.
That means his underwhelming tenure at Old Trafford was his last job in the game.
It’s a sad end for such a highly-esteemed manager who guided Ajax to some of the most glorious years in their history and enjoyed later success with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
However, his career was never plain sailing, and he’ll also be remembered for failing to reach the World Cup finals in 2002 with his native Holland.
In a similar way, United fans might miss his eccentric interviews, but he was never the most popular figure in the Premier League.
Van Gaal has alluded to that himself, explaining at a press conference in the Netherlands, via the Mirror, that he counts the 2016 FA Cup win as the most significant of his career because of the pressure he was under.
“The last six months at United, the circumstances, were so difficult,” he said.
“That is why the trophy I won, the FA Cup, I consider the biggest trophy in my career.
“When they have put you on a stage with your head on the block, my head was in a noose for six months with the English media on top of me.
“Under those circumstances I was expected to inspire those United players every day.
“Going to the absolute climax of the FA Cup Final, ending with ten men and having to score to win in extra-time. Having gone through all that, and then walking away with the trophy, was incredible for me.”
Rumours started to emerge within hours of that success that he would be sacked the following Monday and replaced with Jose Mourinho. In reality, it didn’t happen quite that quickly, but he was a dead man walking for much of the season.
To deliver any silverware amidst such a poor season was a big achievement, but it was his last in football.
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