Skip to content

Where does Van Gaal go from here?

Andrew Yates / Reuters

Louis van Gaal's reign at the helm of Manchester United has finally come to an end, with Jose Mourinho expected to take over at Old Trafford despite the Dutch manager remaining steadfast in his desire to stay with the Red Devils into next season (the final year of his contract).

Van Gaal's time at Manchester United wasn't perfect, but the experienced tactician is still one of the top managers in the world, assuming he wants to jump right back into the fire elsewhere.

Here are three options Van Gaal ought to consider now that he's a free agent:

Ajax (or Ajax's youth academy)

Home. It's a much-needed comfort Van Gaal may be seeking after enduring a rather disrespectful tenure in England. A return to the Netherlands would bring with it some familiarity and a return home means a return to Ajax Amsterdam, Van Gaal's first team as a player, and the club he managed from 1988 to 1997.

That could be as head coach of the first team, since the spot is vacant as Frank de Boer stepped down at the end of the 2015-16 Eredivisie season.

But it's not the only option at the club.

Ajax's fabled youth academy has produced a number of superstar players like Dennis Bergkamp, Johan Cruyff, Patrick Kluivert and Frank Rijkaard. It is heralded as one of, if not the greatest youth academy in the world of football. It specializes in teaching Ajax's brand of 4-3-3 football.

It is also a program Van Gaal has supposedly dreamed of running, according to fellow Dutch manager Co Adriaanse:

"In his heart, Van Gaal still dreams of being the head of youth development at Ajax," Adriaanse told Dutch TV, via Goal.com. "He's wanted that job for the last 10 years."

The position is currently vacant after Wim Jonk quit the role in November of 2015 and it would suit his style to a tee; after all, Van Gaal brought up the likes of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford and lead the Premier League in minutes given to teenagers this season.

A return to the Dutch national team

Perhaps club football isn't Van Gaal's cup of tea anymore after the Dutchman spent the last two years in charge of arguably the biggest side in the world.

Van Gaal was often the target of headlines speculating his departure and fans at Old Trafford couldn't be bothered to pay attention during his goodbye. Van Gaal couldn't even celebrate an FA Cup win without having his job questioned by his old foes in the British press, either.

Related: Van Gaal deserved better than to have FA Cup win marred by Mourinho talk

It was clear that, by the end of the season, Van Gaal had had enough of the weekly stresses of club management, so perhaps a return to the national team would better suit him. The Netherlands missed out on Euro 2016, after all.

Van Gaal already commanded the national team job from 2012 to 2014, but his time with the Oranje didn't end disastrously, either, as his side finished third in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Retirement

As strange as it may seem, Van Gaal's next step in the world of football might just be to walk away from the beautiful game.

The 64-year-old still had one year left on his contract with Manchester United but had said he was considering retirement afterward. He made a promise to his wife Truus that he wouldn't extend his contract with the club and would, instead, call it a day on his management career:

"I am old. This is my last job for sure," Van Gaal told the Daily Telegraph. "I have to pay attention to my kids, my grandchildren but also to my wife. They deserve it. Now I cannot pay that attention. I was not at the birthday of my grandson, for example. I don't like it.

"I have a paradise in Portugal. I want to quit to go there, play golf, eat fantastic food."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox