Louis van Gaal ready to step out of retirement and take charge of Holland for third time

Former Manchester United, Ajax and Barcelona boss Louis van Gaal ready to step out of retirement and take charge of Holland for third time after Frank de Boer quit following shock European Championship exit


Former Manchester United, Ajax and Barcelona manager Louis van Gaal is reportedly ready to come out of retirement to be Holland boss for the third time. 

The 69-year-old was overlooked when Frank de Boer replaced Barcelona bound Ronald Koeman last September.

But De Boer, 51, quit on Tuesday following the shock European Championship last-16 defeat by the Czech Republic.

Frank de Boer has been sacked from his role as Holland manager after his side were eliminated

 Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal could replace Frank de Boer as Holland boss

Despite the recent snub, Van Gaal is ‘not unwilling in advance to a third contract as national coach. In any case, they can call,’ reports Dutch website de Volkskrant.

Van Gaal was previously national coach twice before. 

He failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, but in 2014 he guided the Dutch to the semi-finals in Brazil, when they lost to Argentina.    

Louis van Gaal is set to make a brief return to management with a Dutch second-tier club

Louis van Gaal is set to make a brief return to management with a Dutch second-tier club

Supporters of SC Telstar can win the chance to be Van Gaal's assistant as a lottery prize

Supporters of SC Telstar can win the chance to be Van Gaal’s assistant as a lottery prize 

Van Gaal has already agreed to make a brief return to management five years after his sacking by Manchester United.

The fearsome coach, 69, is to take charge of Dutch second division side SC Telstar next season – but just for the one game.

Van Gaal, who played in Telstar’s midfield for a single season in 1977-78, is returning to the dug-out briefly as part of the club’s fundraising drive.

The Dutch club filmed a video featuring Van Gaal signing a contract alongside wife Truus

The Dutch club filmed a video featuring Van Gaal signing a contract alongside wife Truus 

Supporters can buy lottery tickets, priced at just £2.50, to be entered into a draw to be Van Gaal’s assistant for a one-off fixture next season.

The ex-Ajax, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Holland boss joked: ‘If you want to make a mess of a game alongside me, buy a lottery ticket!’

Other prizes on offer for the draw on July 17 include tickets to the Dutch Grand Prix, PlayStations, football kits and, bizarrely, a shower unit.

The chance to be Van Gaal's assistant is one of several prizes on offer in the prize draw

The chance to be Van Gaal’s assistant is one of several prizes on offer in the prize draw

Fans can also win Dutch Grand Prix tickets, a PlayStation and even a shower unit in the draw

Fans can also win Dutch Grand Prix tickets, a PlayStation and even a shower unit in the draw

One prize winner will get the slightly daunting opportunity to be in the dug-out with Van Gaal

One prize winner will get the slightly daunting opportunity to be in the dug-out with Van Gaal

A video put out by Telstar showed Van Gaal and his wife Truus walking into Telstar’s stadium before putting pen to paper on a new ‘contract’.

The money raised from the lottery will be donated to the Spieren door Spieren Foundation, a charity which fights against muscle disease in children. 

Van Gaal hasn’t returned to management following his two-season spell with United, which culminated in his sacking just two days after they won the FA Cup.

He didn’t announce his official retirement from the game until March 2019.

It's five years since Van Gaal's two-year tenure as Manchester United boss came to an end

It’s five years since Van Gaal’s two-year tenure as Manchester United boss came to an end

Van Gaal's United beat Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup but he was sacked just two days later

Van Gaal’s United beat Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup but he was sacked just two days later

Van Gaal played in the Eredivisie, the Dutch top flight, when at Telstar and then followed their manager Mircea Petescu on to Sparta Rotterdam.

Based in the northern town of Ijmuiden, Telstar are now a second tier outfit and finished 13th in the Eerste Divisie last season. They play their home games at the 3,625-seater Rabobank Ijmond Stadion.