“?Ex-Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was reportedly first told that Jose Mourinho was in the frame to succeed him at Old Trafford by none other than Jose Mourinho himself after the Portuguese started seriously talking to club officials.
According to the Daily Mirror, Mourinho did Van Gaal the courtesy (was it a courtesy?) of personally informing him several weeks ago that he was in line to take his job.
It is said that Mourinho, who worked under the Dutchman at Barcelona in the late 1990s, was keen to pull his friend in from the dark in a bid to preserve their relationship and the reduce the chance of there being ill-feeling and resentment when the sticky transition ultimately came.
Publicly, Van Gaal remained adamant he would see out his three-year contract until the moment his premature dismissal was formally confirmed by the club on Monday evening.
The veteran had been making plans for the 2016/17 season as if nothing would change, and some even claimed that he and his coaching staff were shocked and outraged when they were told by the United hierarchy that they would be out of a job.
With the ‘leaks’ on Saturday night of Mourinho’s imminent arrival thought to have come from inside the former Chelsea manager’s camp, United have been heavily criticised for the way they treated Van Gaal and dragged out what had become inevitable for two days.
But despite everything that has occurred, Van Gaal received praise for the lengthy statement he issued after his departure was finally confirmed.
He expressed an extreme pride at having been giving the opportunity to manage what he described as a “magnificent club”, a chance which also helped him fulfil a personal dream. He thanked the fans, everyone at every level he had worked with and also wished the players the best of luck for next season.
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