Louis van Gaal: 'I was fired by Man Utd because of Man City'
October 17, 2026 ·
Louis van Gaal claims that Man City's financial scandal affected his career at Manchester United, leading to his sacking after the 2016 season.
Louis van Gaal: 'I was fired by Man Utd because of Man City'
According to Vnexpress.
Background
Louis van Gaal coached Manchester United from 2014 to 2016, where he won the FA Cup but failed to bring the team back to the Champions League. Assessments of his performance are often influenced by the context of the rivalry with Manchester City, which at the time was embroiled in a financial scandal. United's failure to achieve their Champions League targets was the tipping point that contributed to his sacking.
Why this is important
Louis van Gaal's statement highlights the impact of the Manchester City financial scandal on the competition in Ngoại Hạng Anh, especially for Manchester United. The failure to gain Champions League football in 2016 not only affected Van Gaal's career, but also reflects the challenges faced by clubs in an increasingly competitive league. This adds complexity to team performance analysis and managerial decisions at Ngoại Hạng Anh.
Main Points
- Louis van Gaal: 'I was fired by Man Utd because of Man City'.
- Louis van Gaal claims that the Man City financial scandal affected his career at Manchester United, leading to his sacking after the 2016 season.
- Van Gaal: 'Tôi bị Man Utd sa thải vì Man City' - Báo VnExpress Thể thao.
Louis van Gaal, former Manchester United coach, revealed that the financial scandal involving Manchester City was one of the main factors that caused him to lose his position at Old Trafford. In an interview with the Athletic, Van Gaal said, "Failure to get a place in the Champions League in 2016 was probably the deciding factor that led to me being sacked by Man Utd, followed by various consequences and suffering afterwards." He added that his career at Manchester United might have been different if he had worked in a more competitive and fair environment.
Van Gaal served as Manchester United coach from 2014 to 2016. In his final season, he succeeded in bringing the team to the FA Cup title, but failed to lead the club back to the Champions League. At the end of the 2015-2016 season, Manchester United and Manchester City both collected 66 points in the Premier League standings. However, City had a better goal difference, so they finished fourth and got a Champions League ticket, while United had to settle for fifth and could only compete in the Europa League.
This failure was in the spotlight because Man Utd did not achieve important targets both in terms of performance and income, which ultimately contributed to the management's decision, controlled by the Glazer family, to fire Van Gaal. Even though he had just won his first trophy since the Alex Ferguson era ended in 2013, Van Gaal had to leave his position.
After being fired, Van Gaal took a break from coaching until returning in 2021 to coach the Dutch national team. He also highlighted that the situation faced by Manchester City, which has been accused of financial manipulation to manipulate revenues and lower costs, could potentially affect the outcome of the Champions League competition in 2016.
Man City has faced multiple allegations of using sponsorship contracts that do not reflect reality to increase revenue and keep costs low, with the total alleged violations reaching US$1.2 billion. Meanwhile, Man City denied all these accusations and claimed to have sufficient evidence to prove their innocence. As a result, the specific impact of an alleged violation on a team's match outcome remains a matter of debate.
Van Gaal admitted that he could not change what had happened, saying, "I cannot change history. Not even the English Football Association can do that." He is not the only one to question what might have happened in English football if Man City had not been involved in the scandal. Steven Gerrard, former Liverpool captain, also highlighted the impact of the accusations facing Man City on rival clubs in the league. Gerrard, who almost led Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2013-2014, stated that he had accepted the fact that he would never be a Premier League champion.
However, this former midfielder raised the issue of memories and achievements that other teams may have lost due to violations allegedly committed by Man City. He emphasized the importance of punishments that are severe enough to set a precedent, proposing sanctions such as transfer bans and points deductions for several seasons, rather than simply a demotion.
What happened next
With the situation faced by Manchester United under the ownership of the Glazer family, the future of the club and their manager will continue to be in the spotlight. If the team's performance does not improve, speculation about managerial changes may arise again. Meanwhile, Manchester City will continue to try to maintain their position at the top of the Ngoại Hạng Anh standings, which could influence the rivalry between the two clubs in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Louis van Gaal reveal about his sacking from Manchester United?
Louis van Gaal revealed that the financial scandal involving Manchester City was one of the main factors that caused him to be fired by Manchester United.
What impact will Van Gaal's dismissal have on Manchester United's position in the Premier League standings?
After Van Gaal's dismissal, Manchester United was in fifth place with 66 points, missing out on a place in the Champions League, while Manchester City finished fourth.
What achievements did Van Gaal achieve while coaching Manchester United?
Van Gaal succeeded in bringing Manchester United to the FA Cup title in his final season.
When did Van Gaal take over as Manchester United coach?
Louis van Gaal served as Manchester United coach from 2014 to 2016.
What happened after Van Gaal was fired from Manchester United?
After being fired, Van Gaal took a break from coaching until returning in 2021 to coach the national team.